Waste a Moment
by Countess Jackman
Summary: Warm blood seeped from the corners of my mouth as I stared at Edward in horror. “And if we leave it in?” He asked, his voice cracking. Carlisle hung his head, hiding his grim expression. “Either way, she dies.”
1. Prologue

Death.

It's a lot scarier than I ever thought it would be. Of course, I had no idea it was going to end this way. How could I have? It was all so unexpected; it was all so sudden. But I assume that's how death is. Even for the ones who have been dealt an unfair hand in life and know that death is coming for them.

Fear of death is normal. And rightfully so. I don't care how strong someone thinks they are. There is always a flare of fear right before the hollow, black oblivion that is death consumes them. Right before it ends. The flare doesn't have to be large. Hell, it doesn't even have to be fear for your own life that is rapidly coming to an end. It could be a fear for those around you, the people you love and cherish.

How will your death affect them?

That's what I find myself wondering in my last moments on Earth. Even as the warm, sticky liquid that is my blood slowly spills from the corners of my mouth. Even as my lungs begin to collapse and my heartbeat weakens. I find myself not wishing that I could prolong my life, to stop this sudden change of events, but rather that the people who held me in such ridiculous importance, the people I loved and who loved me back, that they could move on. That they wouldn't let my death delay them, wouldn't let it hold them back physically and emotionally. And, most importantly, they would learn to love again and accept that fact I was gone, never to walk on the face of the Earth again.

Even my beloved Edward.

No, most importantly Edward.

As I cough up another mouthful of coppery, tangy blood, I lock eyes with him. There is no sign of struggle in his eyes, no glimmer of temptation. Just pure agony. My heart clenches painfully as I mutter the most painful words I have ever spoken in my entire life. I caught the look of disbelief that fluttered across his seraphic face. His eyes widened as the realization of what I was asking him sank in. His golden eyes flashed violently from anger to hurt in a matter of seconds, darkening at an incredibly fast rate. I tried to muster enough energy to finish the rest of my sentence, but only blood, not words poured from my lips.

"Bella, no," he breathed, the despair in his musical voice cutting through me like a knife. My heart tightens again as does his hold on my hand. His free hand is touching my face, stroking my bruised and bloodied cheekbone. I can't look away from him, even as the sorrow creeps into his now onyx orbs. Again and again, I try to get the words out, but no words are formed, only gurgles from the blood trapped in my throat result in my attempts.

His eyes never left mine. I could already see the loneliness sinking into his eyes. My heart tore.

The fear was beginning to surface. My breath quickened. The thought of Edward alone and miserable for all eternity inflicted more fear in me than my own impending death. I knew I would be the reason of his infinite unhappiness, for all the loneliness he was going to experience for the rest of his very long life, for the misery that he was bound to carry with him whenever he went. My heart began to thud rapidly in my chest. I wasn't sure I could responsible for that. I had to be strong for him. I had to make it through this. But there was something about our locked gazes that signified it; that this was the end. My breathing started to slow and my heart rate decreased. The blood spilling from the corners of my lips was drying and I grasped his hand as tightly as I could.

The fear was replaced by guilt. An endless amount of guilt that would follow me, even in death.

* * *

A/N: I'd love to know what you think, so drop a review! 


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: So, whenever I was watching Casino Royale -- which happens to be a major obsession of my life at the moment as it FINALLY came out on DVD -- and I was struck with a sudden and startling wave of inspiration to write a story. I know I still have "That's Amore", but I just can't seem to get this idea out of my head and I want to see if it's as good as I'm making it out to be. Anywho, I just thought I'd post this and I'd really appreciate some feedback, seeing as how I'm a major feedback whore and all but thrive on reviews. That being said, I hope you enjoy this and my grammar mistakes don't make it impossible to read.

I'd like to take a moment and thank all of you who read and reviewed my story. You have no idea how thrilled it makes me whenever I get a new review alert in my inbox. So, thanks so very much for reviewing and I hope you continue to review, as I've said before, I thrive on them. Lol. Without further ado, here you are! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I'm going to say this one time and one time only - I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT / NEW MOON NOR DO I OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS! As much as it pains me to say that, I thought I should get it out there in the open. The only thing I do own is this lame excuse of a plot. There. I'm done. **

Song - "Linger" by The Cranberries.

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Chapter One

I stared out the windshield with a blank expression on my face. Today wasn't going to be a good day, I could tell that much already. Killing the engine, I scooped my books up in my arm and grabbed my gray hooded sweatshirt off the empty seat beside me. I nearly fell flat on my face as I stepped out of my truck, the toe of my sneaker having snagged on…well, I'm not quite sure. I slammed the door with more force than necessary and slung my hoodie over my arm.

A growl of frustration escaped my lips as I started down the path that led to Building 5. I reminded myself to take deep, steadying breaths and not let the curious stares of my classmates get to me. I threw my eyes up to the clear blue sky and cursed under my breath.

The sun was out.

Again.

For the second time this week.

I pushed down another growl of irritation and breezed by Jessica and Lauren, who had been sitting on a bench, chatting with some younger boys. They looked to be sophomores and incredibly thrilled that two decent looking senior girls were talking to them. I rolled my eyes to myself. How desperate could they get?

Okay, that wasn't a very nice thing to think about them, but honestly! The way Lauren twirled her flaxen hair around her finger was disgusting. But maybe I was just jealous. She had someone's undivided attention, she had someone treating her as though she was some sort of goddess, despite the fact she was the devil reincarnated.

_Breathe_.

The sound of his smooth as velvet voice startled me and I stopped walking, whipping around to make sure he hadn't crept up behind me like he usually did. Of course, he wasn't there. The sun was shining brightly, warming my skin as I walked across the school grounds to my impending doom -- Physics. He was the only reason why I was passing that class, not only because his mere presence kept me awake, but because we spent a few hours of the time we were allowed to spend together studying the particular subject. More often than not, it paid to have a boyfriend who was more than a century old and had been through high school numerous times.

I sighed heavily, my shoulders sagging as I stepped into the classroom, only to find it empty. Of course the room was empty; who wanted to sit inside a frigid classroom when they could be outside, soaking up the warm rays of the sun and socializing with their friends? Seeing as I was one of the few people who fit the former bill rather than the latter, I picked a seat in the far right corner of the room and sank into the cool, metallic chair.

A school day without Edward usually meant that seconds would take minutes, minutes would take hours, and hours would take days. In short, I was going to be miserable.

Now that he was back in my every day life, it was extremely difficult to go more than a few hours without seeing him. He had only been back for a little over a month and it was starting to become increasingly hard to see him. Once Charlie had caught onto our little scheme -- Edward coming home with me after school and leaving before he came home from the station -- he had called up one of our neighbors and asked that she keep tabs on me. At first, I found it absolutely ridiculous, wondering why he was treating me like a small child and employing a babysitter of sorts to keep an eye on me. But once we had found a way to sneak Edward into the house, it wasn't nearly as bad. And it wasn't like I was doing anything I wasn't supposed to. Aside from a few chaste kisses, we usually did our homework together or lay on the couch in one another's arm, watching Family Feud or the Food Network.

For some odd reason, Edward had taken a rather odd and out of character liking to the channel devoted to food. Once the clock struck four thirty, he always demanded that I switch it to the Food Network so he could watch Barefoot Contessa. I couldn't help but laugh at him whenever he watched that program. He was always so serious, like he was taking mental notes or something. Of course, whenever there was a commercial break, I switch back over to Montel -- which was a guilty pleasure of ours, even if Edward wouldn't admit it -- and we would fight over the remote, which usually turned into a game of "Let's Tickle Bella Until She Can't Breathe". Obviously, I always lost and had given up trying to fight him off after the first few rounds. The feeling of his cold fingertips through the fabric of my shirt sent thrills and chills surging up and down my spine.

The shrill sound of the tardy bell cut through my thoughts and I sat up in my seat, my spine at a ninety degree angle with the base of the chair. I glanced longingly at the empty desk beside me and resisted the urge to sigh. As the Physics teacher came barreling into the room, muttering an apology for being late, as per usual, I started to drown out her words and disappeared into my own world. I was in Edward's arms, the feelings of pure content and absolute safety, not to mention love and warmth, enveloped us as we watched Semi-Homemade from our sprawled out position on Charlie's old, but extremely comfortable couch.

"Miss Swan?"

I jerked myself out of my daydream and looked up at my teacher, who was smiling expectantly. I stared back blankly, not entirely sure what she wanted. "Yes?"

"Could you tell us the basics of Newton's third law?" She asked, pushing her black rimmed glasses up the crooked bridge of her nose. Hmm, crooked. How I love crooked things, especially that smile of Edward's.

"Miss Swan?" She repeated, more firmly than before.

"I, uh," I trailed off, looking at anything but my classmates, which basically left the odd light brown spot on the wall. If you really wanted to be vague, you could say that, at times, Edward's eyes were light brown. This time, I snapped myself out of it.

Miss whatsherface coughed into her small fist, glaring at me expectantly.

I shrank into my seat. "I don't know?" I finished feebly, wincing slightly.

I could've sworn that my teacher rolled her eyes at me as she started back up the aisle, making her way toward the front of the classroom, where she would stand behind her little podium and make herself believe that she was teaching us things that we would use in real life.

"Would anyone like to tell Miss Swan the answer to my inquisition?" Of course, leave it to teacher to use big words to try and sound smart. You're teaching Physics, lady, we kind of already know that you're a genius, don't need to rub it in our faces.

Much to my dismay, Miss whatsherface called upon Lauren, who supplied the answer. Unfortunately for me, the dimwitted, conniving blonde sat just two seats up and a row over from me, so she turned around and sent me the smuggest smile I have ever seen in my life. I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at her and crossed my arms over my chest, taking a peek at the clock on the wall. Only ten more minutes of this class. Maybe today wouldn't be as bad as I thought it would be.

x - x - x

As soon as the last bell rang, I darted out of the door and bounded toward my truck. I could feel the curious stares on my back as I ran -- rather awkwardly, I might add, as I have never been much of a runner nor was it easy to keep your balance when you had over fifteen pounds worth of books in your arms. I was so eager to leave campus and get home so I could collapse on the couch, content in Edward's stone cold arms as we shouted out the answers to the Jeopardy questions. My hand was shaking so badly that I could barely get the key into the hole to unlock my door. I fumbled with my keychain. It fell out of my hand and clattered to the pavement. I half expected a shockingly pale hand to dart out and snatched it up off the ground, but I knew it was wistful thinking. I glared up at the sun. Oh, how I came to hate the sunshine, which was rather ironic, as it had been one of the things I was certain I was going to miss about Phoenix. Nowadays, the thought of a sunny day sent me into a depression of sorts and I longed for storm clouds to move into from the west.

I was about to bend down and grab my keys when a mysterious hand took them first. I opened my mouth to say something, but then I looked up. I suppressed a groan. Only Mike Newton seeking me out could make my day any worse.

"Hey Bella!" Mike said cheerily, grinning at me.

I struggled to smile back. "Hi Mike." Did the world have something against me? Was there some invisible force trying to prevent me from seeing Edward after a long and grueling day of enduring high school without him? I bit back my resigned sigh and looked at my car keys in Mike's hand.

"How are you doing?" He questioned, cocking his head to the side slightly.

"Good, I guess." I shrugged, averting my eyes to the ground. "How about you?"

"Great." Mike replied, still smiling widely. "We miss you down at the store."

"Mike, it's only been a week." I had quit working at Newton's when I realized it cut into the time that I could be spending with Edward. Of course, when Charlie asked me why I quit, I told him that my grades were suffering and I needed all the time I could get to study. Besides, I still had money left over from my savings to buy a car, something that Edward made very clear he would be doing, should the truck fail me.

His smile weakened and he shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, I know." He said, his voice wavering as was his confidence. "It's just lonely without you."

That was the one thing I would never understand about Mike Newton. When Edward…well, when I sank into my comatose state, living only because I had to, when everyone was shunning me because I was shunning them, Mike was still persistent; he had remained my friend and tried to break through my icy façade. He hadn't given up on me. Not like everyone was had. I was grateful that he was such a loyal friend but disappointed with myself that I couldn't return the sentiment. Although, his persistence could get quite annoying, especially whenever he tried to flirt with me. Like I really needed to tell him that I was with Edward.

"I do miss it," I started, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. At his curious expression, I quickly added, "Working with you, I mean." I couldn't believe that I was lying through my teeth because, in all honesty, I had hated every minute of working at Newton's. But what Mike didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

A grin broke out across his face. "I do too."

An insanely awkward silence passed between us. Mike opened his mouth a few times to say something, but words never came forth. I stood there, anxiously rocking back and forth on the heels of my feet. I pushed a hand through my hair and sighed. "Look, I've got to get home. I have a lot Physics homework."

His smile fell and he nodded. "Oh, right. Miss Perkins really knows how to dish out the homework, doesn't she?"

"I'm going to need my keys."

"Oh, sorry." Mike fumbled with the keychain as he dropped them into my open palm. My fingers closed over the keys, my nails digging into my skin as I held them tightly. Somehow, I had managed to get the key in the hole the first time and unlocked the door. Climbing into my truck, I dumped my books on the seat next to me and started the engine. Mike jumped back at the loud noise as the truck roared to life. "So…talk to you soon?" He questioned, unable to mask the hopeful tone in his voice.

I smiled tightly and nodded. "Sure." I shifted into reverse and waved casually at him. "Bye Mike."

"Goodbye Bella!"

I shook my head as I backed out of the parking space and pulled out of the parking lot.

x - x - x

I couldn't hold back my sigh as I turned onto my street, the sound of the blinker cutting through the intense silence in the cab. I pushed the pedal down a little harder than necessary, urging my old truck to go a little faster. However, when the engine groaned in protest, I lessened the pressure on the gas pedal and continued down the street, tapping my fingers against the steering wheel in anticipation. Finally, Charlie's house came into view and I pulled into the driveway, killing the engine and yanking the keys out of the ignition.

Deciding to leave my books in the passenger seat, I climbed out of the truck and slammed the door behind me. I darted down the path that led to the front porch and, in my excitement, nearly tripped over the small step that I always seemed to miss. Suppressing a curse, I righted myself and opened the door, knowing that it would be unlocked. Twisting the knob, I pushed the door open and smiled when I saw Edward's jacket hanging on the coat rack. I could faintly hear voices from the program on the television from the living room.

A wide smile spread across my lips as I crossed the threshold into the living room. Sprawled across the couch in what looked like one of the most comfortably content position I had ever seen, was Adonis himself. My breath hitched in my throat as it always did whenever I saw him after hours of being apart. He made no movement whatsoever that showed he was acknowledging my presence. Typical. He was always particularly mopey on the sunny days. Like it was really my fault that his skin glittered like a thousand gems at the smallest beam of sunlight.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I walked around the recliner and perched myself on the edge of the couch near his feet. I could feel his eyes on me, but kept my own dark orbs glued to the television screen, where the Yankees were down by one in the bottom of the eighth with two on base and Alex Rodriguez on deck. I had learned a lot about baseball in the past month or so, as I usually watched the games with Charlie for the sole reason of knowing that Edward was watching the very same game. It was strange, yes, I'll admit that, but it brought a strange sense of comfort to me.

A few minutes of unbearable silence passed between us. I wanted nothing more than to throw myself in his arms and get lost in his chilled embrace, but I didn't want to be the first to give in. We were always testing how long we could last before caving in and, for the past two weeks, I lost. But today, I was determined to win. I was sick of losing. I straightened my spine and crossed my legs, trying to settle into a more comfortable position without touching him. All it took was one simple brushing of skin and I would cave. But not today. The hungry itch, the need to touch him, spread like fire through my veins and I clenched my hands into fists. Yet, I kept my eyes glued to the television screen, not really watching the 'exciting' game of baseball.

It all happened in the blink of an eye.

One minute, I was sitting primly on the edge of the couch cushion, my lower back screaming in protest and the muscles in my shoulders pinching together as the tension in them longed to released. The next, a pair of strong, cold arms wrapped around my waist in a vice-like grip and I was being pulled backward. A shiver of delight rolled up my spine as the icy temperature of his skin radiated off his chest and seeped through the material of my tee shirt, chilling me to the bone. When most people would be pulling away, I found myself sinking into his comforting, loving embrace and exhaling loudly.

"Hello," He breathed, his wintry breath skittering over the surface of my skin and making me shiver once again.

Despite the fact he had an iron grip on me, I somehow managed to turn in his arms so that I was facing him. I grinned up at him, drinking in his gorgeous ocher eyes. He smiled back and lowered his head, his lips brushing against mine ever-so-softly. I longed for more, I _ached _for more, but somehow, I managed to behave myself.

When he broke away, still grinning, I nuzzled the hollow base of his throat and inhaled his intoxicating scent. "Hey," I whispered back, kissing his ivory throat several times. His arms tightened around me and pulled me closer, if it were at all possible. "I missed you."

"And I you," He replied, smoothing my hair back and pressing his perfectly formed lips to my forehead. I shivered. "Cold?"

I shook my head. "Nope, not at all." I snuggled deeper into his arms.

He sent me a reproachful look and pulled the old quilt that hung over the back of the couch over us. As much as I didn't want to admit it, the heavy blanket did help a little bit, but it didn't block out all the frosty deliciousness of his cold skin. I smiled into the curve of his neck and pressed my cheek against his throat. His chest gave a small heave of content and I glanced up at him.

"Learn anything new today?" He questioned, twirling a few locks of my dark hair around his pale finger.

"Not really." I answered, reaching underneath the blanket and grabbing his free hand. I laced my fingers through his and brought his hand to my lips, kissing the smooth, hard surface softly. "It's hard to pay attention when you're not there."

His brow furrowed in curiosity and he urged me with his golden optics to continue. "I'm always worrying about you. And I'm always imagining the worst possible scenarios happening. It's just…I don't know. I can't focus without you right there beside me." I sighed heavily and he gave my hand a tight squeeze.

"_You're_ always worrying about _me_?" He repeated, chuckling darkly under his breath as he pressed his lips to my temple. "Silly Bella," he whispered quietly into my hair, leaning his cheek against the crown of my head and taking a deep breath. His finger slowly traced a line up the inside of my arm and I squirmed when he got to the valley of my elbow. A wicked grin spread across his lips and his topaz eyes glimmered mischievously.

Oh no. Not again.

"You wouldn't." I breathed, my voice trembling as I swallowed a lump in my throat.

His eyes glinted as his grin widened. "Are you sure about that?"

I wriggled in his arms, trying to break free, but I couldn't escape his iron grip. Oh crap. I was in for it now. "Edward," I pleaded, dropping my voice. "Please, don't."

The last syllable of my pathetic attempt came out as a squeal, as his large hands began to tickle my sides. I squirmed, I wriggled, and I cried out for mercy, but no matter what I did, he didn't let up. I was out of breath by the time he finally stopped tickling me, my face flushed bright red from laughter and, of course, the fact that his hands had touched every inch of my torso. My stomach muscles clenched painfully and the flesh beneath my shirt burned. I vaguely wondered if that particular side effect of his touch was going to remain with me forever. I sure hope it did.

As agonizing as being tickled was, I will him with my mind to do it again, but he didn't. Instead, he rolled me over so that my back was against his chest and pressed his body against mine. I sighed as I made myself comfortable -- well, as comfortable as physically possible when in the arms of a perfectly sculpted marble statue -- and turned my eyes to the television screen, only to see that Barefoot Contessa was on. It's no wonder why he gave up so quickly. I smiled despite myself and all but melted in his embrace. His fingertips lazily made their way up and down my arm, sending ripples of an oddly soothing delight through my body. I didn't even realize that I had fallen asleep until Charlie was shaking me awake.

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A/N: And that's the chapter! Let me know what you think of it. Am I butchering the characters? I want the honest to God truth and I'd love to hear your input. Have any ideas? Suggest them, as I'm always open for suggestions. If you wish to see my cast list, check it out on my profile!


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: Wow. That's really all I can say. I'm glad so many of you actually like my story! I don't even know how I can express my gratitude, but I hope you all know that I really do appreciate your feedback and I'm dying for more. Because I love reviews so much, I decided to post this chapter a day ahead of schedule. It's been impossible for me to hold back, but somehow I managed, but I can't handle it any longer. I hope you guys like this chapter as much as the rest! So, without further ado, here's the second chapter!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, I don't own New Moon, but you might wanna shut it because neither do you. sorry, I love that! Tehe. **

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Chapter Two

"Bella, honey."

The sudden sound of Charlie's voice startled me from my slumber. A squeak of surprise escaped my throat and, before I knew what was happening, I was tumbling toward the floor, landing with a loud thud. An unattractive grunt passed through my lips as I slowly opened my eyes. Charlie was standing a few feet away from my head, near the end table, an amused smile threatening to upturn the corners of his lips.

"Are you okay?" He asked, concern filling his voice as he moved to help me up.

I pushed his arm away and sat up, wincing as my lower back prickled with pain. "I'm fine." I lied, tucking a few strands of hair behind my ear. I pulled myself up onto the couch and settled back against the cushions, trying to make myself comfortable. The couch was cold, much colder than it had been whenever I was laying in Edward's arms. I threw a curious glance over at the clock on the wall, but Charlie's head was blocking it. How convenient. I pushed back the growl building in my throat, wondering why I was so irritable today.

"How long have I been out?" I questioned, rubbing my eyes with the back of my hands and fighting back a yawn.

"I'm not sure," Charlie shrugged. "When I got home, you were sound asleep on the couch and I didn't want to wake you."

I was suddenly more alert. "What time is it?"

"A little after seven."

"Seven!" I scrambled off the couch, stumbling as I stood. How was I to know that my legs were asleep? The corner of the end table dug into my hip painfully and I bit back a yelp of pain. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

More importantly, where the hell was Edward? The logical part of my mind to me that he was at home, doing whatever it is that he does whenever he's away from me while another part of my mind made me look at the stairs, hoping that he was waiting up there for me.

"I didn't know how long you had been sleeping," Charlie argued, a strange softness in his voice that I had only heard a handful of times. "And you looked so peaceful, I didn't want to disturb you."

I couldn't help but be touched by the small amount of kindness he had shown. It wasn't out of character, but it was just unexpected. I couldn't even begin to describe how it made me feel.

Ever since Charlie had found out about the motorcycle, we hadn't been getting along very well. While neither of us were very verbose, our actions tended to speak louder than our unvoiced words. I was the more frigid one, clearly not happy with my punishment and I made sure that Charlie knew it. Of course, I had known at the time whenever I acquired the motorcycles and went to the Blacks' house, asking for Jacob's help that, if Charlie ever found out, he was going to tear me a new one. But still, it didn't mean that I had to like my punishment, but it did mean I had to deal with it. I had made a choice knowing well enough what the consequences would be should I get caught.

"Thanks Dad." I said, hoping the sincerity that I felt in my heart reached my voice. Judging by the smile he sent me, it did.

"You looked like you needed the sleep. Still struggling in Physics?"

I nodded my head gravely and opened my mouth to say something, but my stomach beat me to it. I blushed furiously as the churning acids in my stomach groaned loudly, begging to be fed. Well, that could be one of the reasons why I was so irate today. Add my sudden hunger in with the fact I had been apart from Edward longer than I would've liked and there was your explanation.

Charlie chuckled and I cleared my throat, thoroughly embarrassed. Using my dark hair as a curtain to hide my blush, I started toward the kitchen. "I guess I should start dinner."

I opened one of the cabinets, trying to decided what to make, when I noticed that it was barren. The only contents inside was a jar of old peanut butter and some dry bacon bits. With a furrowed brow, I continued to look through the cabinets as well as the fridge, and found that there wasn't much I could make. Only fish. My shoulders slumped as I tried to think of something I could quickly conjure up.

"Why don't we go out for dinner?" Charlie suggested from the doorway.

I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of his voice and spun around, my hand placed over my chest. Why was I so skittish? I shook my head to myself and Charlie chuckled.

It was then that the realization of his suggestion sunk in. He wanted to talk. It must be something important. I swallowed the nervous lump that had built up in my throat and leaned against the counter. "Go out for dinner?" I repeated, raising a brow in curiosity.

"Yeah," He said. "We haven't had time to really talk since you've been living here and you have to be getting sick of fish."

While both were true, I felt more strongly about the latter rather than the former. Don't get me wrong, I loved Charlie, but why was he suddenly so interested in talking to me? Had my mom said something to him? Had the lady next door that he assigned as my babysitter ratted me out about sneaking Edward in everyday after school? I blanched at the thought and my eyes flickered out the kitchen window at the house next door.

I bit my lip. "Couldn't we just order pizza?"

He sent me a look that told me ordering out wasn't an option. I couldn't place my finger on it, but for some reason, the look reminded me of my mother whenever she got cross with me. I held back a shiver; it was almost as though he was channeling her or something. "Fine, we can go out." I sighed.

"We don't have to, Bells." Charlie said suddenly, worry creasing his brow.

"No, no," I replied, waving him off with my hand. "Now that you mention it, I am getting sick of fish and pizza, if you want me to be honest with you." He smiled at me and I couldn't help but return the sentiment. "Give me ten minutes and then we can leave. Okay?"

"Sounds good to me."

What was I getting myself into? Edward was right: I was a magnet for disaster.

x - x - x

Thirty minutes later, I found myself sitting across from Charlie, the vinyl cushion sticking to the back of my calves. Once I had changed into something more suitable for dinner -- a pair of denim capris and a dark blue, three-quarter length shirt, we drove around town, trying to decide where to go. There weren't many opinions, but we finally decided on Steak 'N Shake, the only chain restaurant in town. There weren't many people in the joint, so luckily, we were seated right away.

As I flipped through the menu, I felt Charlie's eyes on me. I tried to ignore the intense scrutiny I was under, but it proved to be a more difficult feat than I had originally thought. I never liked it whenever people stared at me and my father was no exception. I would have squirmed in my seat uncomfortably, much like I had this morning in Physics, but somehow, I had refrained and kept my eyes glued to the menu in my hand.

A pretty blonde waitress came to our table a few seconds later, pulling a pad of paper from the front of her black apron. "My name's Nikki and I'll be your server this evening." She smiled at us, flashing her white teeth behind her berry tinted lips. Charlie muttered a hello to her and I nodded my head in greeting. "Have you decided what you want or do you need another minute?" I felt her eyes on me, as though she directed the last of her words at me.

"Nope, I'm ready." I shifted slightly in my seat, trying to get the vinyl to unstuck from the back of my calves without feeling like a layer of my skin was coming off with it.

I glanced at Charlie to see that he was looking at me, smiling softly. "Go ahead." He urged.

"I'll take the 5 Way Chili Mac with a banana milkshake and a side of cheese fries." I told the waitress.

She scribbled down my order on her little pad of paper and, once she was done, turned her eyes to Charlie, her pencil poised and ready for action. I leaned back, the vinyl creaking beneath me, but thankfully not rubbing together obnoxiously. As I expected, Charlie ordered the Steak Burger with everything and a large side of fries with some coleslaw. He, too, ordered a milkshake, only instead of banana, he got chocolate.

Tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, Nikki smiled at us and said, "I'll be right out with your drink orders and, hopefully, your food will follow not too long after."

With that, she was gone, leaving me alone with Charlie. I suddenly wanted her to come back, so I wouldn't have to sit across the table from Charlie, his soft brown eyes scrutinizing every move I made.

"What?" I asked after a few minutes, tearing the napkin in my lap into thin shreds under the table.

"Nothing," Charlie started, still smiling at me. I was starting to get a little freaked out. Was he going to deal me some life changing news? I sure hoped not. "You just look so much like your mother."

Oh, was that it? I breathed an inaudible sigh of relief and continued shredding the napkin. I didn't know how to respond to that, so I just sat there. Where was that damn waitress with our drinks?

As if on cue, she came around the corner with a tray of drinks balancing on her hand. A stab of jealous surged through me; I wish I could do something like that without falling over my feet.

"Here we are!" She said cheerfully, setting my banana milkshake down in front of me. I didn't even realize that I was salivating until some salvia escaped the corner of my mouth. Luckily, neither Charlie nor the waitress was looking at me, so they didn't catch it. How embarrassing it would've been if they had.

Charlie smiled at her appreciatively. Well, wasn't he just Mister Smiley Face tonight. "Thank you."

Nikki's eyes twinkled as she informed us that our food would be done in a few minutes and flounced away, going to attended to another table. I shook my head. Some girls inherited all the good genes.

The awkward silence settled between us again. I reached forward, grabbing the cool glass and pulled it toward me. I tried not to let his constant stare get to me, but much like Edward's gaze, it was unnerving, only my father's wasn't pleasant by any means. He wanted to tell me something, but obviously didn't know how to put it. I busied myself with unwrapping my straw, trying my best to act like he wasn't looking at me. Inserting the straw into the thick, yellow concoction, I put the clear straw to my lips and drank.

"Is it any good?" Charlie questioned.

I glanced up from the table top and nodded silently. "Yeah, it's not half bad."

He looked at his own milkshake and chuckled. "I really shouldn't be drinking this." He said as he unwrapped his straw and stuck it into his milkshake.

I raised a curious brow. "Why not?"

"It's not good for my cholesterol." He stated, his voice laced with mock disappointment.

Much to my surprise, and apparently Charlie's, as his eyes widened slightly, I laughed. "If you drink too many of them, the blood in your veins will turn into chocolate milkshake."

He took a hearty drink of his milkshake, the thick dark brown mass slowly making its way up the narrow straw and into his mouth. How was he not getting a brain freeze? I had barely sipped off mine and my brain was already starting to ache from the chill.

Charlie chuckled. "I don't know, Bells."

I blinked once and furrowed my brow. "Don't know what?"

"Never mind," He muttered under his breath as he stared at me like I had sprouted a second head.

I frowned, but continued to take slow and timid sips off my milkshake, despite the fact that my ravenous stomach was demanding more. It growled again and Charlie's eyes flickered to me, a small smile on the corner of his lips, before he returned his gaze out the window.

I breathed another sigh of relief, glad to finally have his eyes off me. I sank back into the vinyl bench, the springs creaking underneath the sudden weight change. Letting my head fall back, I closed my eyes, a sudden wave of exhaustion washing over me. I had no idea why I was so tired, it might have been from the long nap that I had taken this afternoon and my body had yet to recover. It didn't raise any alarms or red flags in my head, so I let it slide and sank deeper into the cushion, glad that we had chosen a booth instead of a table.

"Bella,"

My eyes snapped open at the sound of Charlie's voice. Blinking to rid my vision of the blurriness, I looked at him from my position across the table. I could tell he was struggling to find the right words to say, as he kept opening and closing his mouth. He cleared his throat and I could see that the words had almost been formed when our waitress and seeming guardian angel swooped down, a tray of hot, delicious smelling food balanced on her palm.

I sent Charlie a quick, apologetic glance, even though it wasn't my fault that Nikki had impeccable timing. I silently thanked her a million times over for sparing me from what would've been uncomfortable conversation.

My stomach rumbled again and I placed a hand over my abdomen self-consciously, my cheeks flushing bright red. They both laughed.

"I guess it's a good thing that I came with the food when I did, huh." Nikki smiled brightly at me as she set my plate of food down on the table in front of me. I couldn't help but smiled back; she had no idea how dead on she was.

I was all but salivating by the time Nikki left the table. For some strange reason, Charlie had found it necessary to strike up a five minute conversation with the petite, blonde waitress. It wouldn't have bothered me so much if I wasn't so hungry and I hated eating in front of people I wasn't familiar with.

Once she had loped away, busying herself with other customers, I unwrapped my silverware from the new napkin that Nikki had brought over to me -- had she seen the shreds at my feet -- and forked a hefty amount of chili mac into my mouth.

"Hungry?" Charlie laughed.

Wiping the sauce away from the corner of my mouth, I nodded. "You have no idea." As I swirled my fork around the messy noodles, my stomach gave a content moan.

We ate in a comfortable silence, making the occasional remark about how good our food was. For once, I wasn't lying. The spicy chili mac was oddly appetizing and, though I had believed that my stomach couldn't handle another beating, the sight of the hot French fries made my mouth water. Once I was satisfied with how much ketchup I had drenched the French fries with, I began to stuff my face. Every now and then, Charlie would laugh and inform me that I had a spot of ketchup on my nose or somewhere else equally ridiculous. As I had expected, Charlie finished a good fifteen minute before me and continued to watch me intently as I ate. Geez, he was almost as bad as Edward. All too soon, my platter of fries had been cleared and my stomach gave a groan of agony as I shoved the last fry into my mouth. I shivered, not able to shake the feeling of finality as my food slowly started to digest.

Nikki, our peppy blonde waitress, came over to the table once more, asking if we wanted to desert. I politely declined, but Charlie ordered a coffee. I relaxed in my seat, staring out the window as I waited from him to finish drinking his coffee. By the way he was shifting uncomfortably as he drank, I knew that he was trying to think of the best way to approach whatever he had been about to tell me before. I sighed inaudible, not entirely sure that I wanted to know what he had to say, but at the same time, I was strangely curious.

By the time we left the restaurant, the parking lot was nearly empty. I glanced at my watch and rolled my eyes. Only in town as small as Forks would people be inside their homes and winding down for the night at 8:17. As we walked toward the cruiser, I felt a grimace coming on. I hated riding shotgun in the cruiser, but I guess it was better than riding in the back, where the bars behind the protective glass window felt like a prison.

I settled into the passenger seat and locked my seat belt into place as Charlie slid into the car on the driver's side. Neither of us said a word as he turned the engine over and pulled out of the parking lot. I fixated my gaze out the window, enjoying the nighttime streets passing by. I didn't get a chance to observe the scenery from inside a car whenever I was riding shotgun, as the Cullens were total lead foots. It was impossible to watch the landscape at such high speeds.

Since we had dined on the other side of town, we took the back roads back to the house, a rather uncomfortable silence settling between us. I knew that Charlie wanted to say something, but he didn't know how to get it out. It was unsettling and I didn't like it at all. I wish he would just say what he wanted to say and stop thinking about how I was going to handle it. He was overanalyzing, just like always.

So I did something rather uncharacteristic. Turning in my seat so that my back was pressed against the door, I cleared my throat and said, "If you want to say something, Dad, you might as well just go ahead and say it."

Clearly, I had startled him with my audacity and, in all honesty, I had surprised myself. It was common knowledge that I wasn't the most straightforward person out there, but everyone was entitled to their little outburst, weren't they?

It took him a few seconds to recover, but once he did, Charlie sighed and licked his lips, shooting glances at me out of the corner of his eye.

"Well?" I pressed, folding my arms over my chest and raising an impatient brow.

He seemed to struggle for a few moments, but finally decided to speak the words he had been wanting to let out all night. "It's about…" he trailed off, glancing at me cautiously and swallowed the lump in his throat.

Something already told me what he was about to say. My stomach gave an unpleasant lurch and I tried to keep my dinner down. "It's about Edward, isn't it?" I guessed.

Judging by the look on his face, I was right. I squirmed uneasily in my seat, the leather groaning against my movements.

He hesitated, but finally spoke. "I just don't think he's good for you."

My eyes widened and I sat up straighter, not believing what I was actually hearing. "Not good for me?!" I asked, outraged.

"Yes." Charlie replied shortly.

"How is he not good for me?" I demanded, glaring at my father.

He sighed. "Look, Bella, I'm only looking out for your well-being. You don't see what he does to you. You don't see the con-."

"You're right!" I interrupted hotly. "I don't see what he does to me and I don't need to! He makes me happy!"

"Are you really happy, Bella?" Charlie asked, his voice sharper than I was used to.

I stared at him for a minute, completely dumbfounded. His brown eyes were focused on me rather than the road, waiting for me to answer. "I'd be happier if you'd let me see him." I countered, my voice rising a few octaves higher.

His eyes turned hard and his face an unnatural puce. He opened his mouth to say something, or more likely to yell at me.

"Isabella Marie Swan, you will not raise your voi-."

"Dad," I screamed. "Look out!"

Neither of us saw the deer in the center of the road until it was too late.

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A/N: So, that's the chapter. I hope it wasn't too melodramatic and I didn't slaughter the characters. Those are my two major concerns, but hopefully, they're not as bad as i think they are. Anywho, please, I bet it of you, drop me a review! I love feedback!


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks you all so very much for your reviews. You have no idea how much I appreciate them. They inspire me to keep on writing and that's a very, very good thing. Although last chapter didn't have as many reviews as the previous two, I still wanted to take the time and say thank you to those of you who did review. Anywho, here's the third chapter. I know it's shorter than normal, but it's supposed to be.

**Disclaimer: I've come to the startlingly realization that I don't own Twilight. Woe is me. **

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Chapter Three

This wasn't normal -- even I knew that.

The intense pressure that swelled in my chest whenever I had to leave Bella. I hated leaving her. I had made a promise to her upon our return from Volterra that I wouldn't leave her; not for a second. But sometimes, it was inevitable.

Charlie had been an easy enough obstacle to get around, I just took the risk of being exposed for what I really was. It wasn't like anyone could see me as I used my super human speed to race from the woods behind her house to the back door, even if her next door neighbor had taken up a seemingly permanent position in front of her kitchen window after Charlie had enlisted her help. The only thing we couldn't maneuver around was when Charlie came home from the station. I was forced to leave her side then.

The pressure would start before I was out the door.

I can't thoroughly explain the pain the pressure brings, as I have yet to experience its full extent, nor do I understand it. I had thought that it would pass after a few days, but I was wrong. It gets worse every day. It pains me whenever I look into her beautiful, chocolate orbs and see the flicker of fear, of panic, whenever I have to leave her. She fears that I won't come back, that I'll break my promise.

And that breaks my undead heart.

The longer we're apart, the harder it gets. The weight on my chest would break a human. The strain makes it unbelievably hard to concentrate on what's going on around me, to focus on anything but the emptiness in my chest. But somehow, I managed to pull through, for lack of a better description.

I survive for her.

For my Bella. I made a vow to not leave her and, this time, I intended to keep my promise.

It's become somewhat easier over time. The first few days were horrendous. I was a wretched being to be around; my siblings, especially Rosalie, grew incredibly impatient with me and stopped trying to make friendly conversation with me. They had given up trying to distract me. But now, I find ways to keep myself occupied. I let my siblings distract me. It makes the time pass by quickly. I only have to keep myself busy for a few hours. And what's a few hours to an immortal?

The grand piano on the low platform in the living room provided today's distraction. My fingers drifted across the keys at an inhuman speed as I played a new composition. I had written it for my beloved, for the times whenever we had to be apart from one another. The melody reminded me of her beautiful face, her magnificent warmth, and everything in between.

As my fingers danced across the porcelain keys, I gave myself over to the music. It surged through me like a powerful electrical current that I couldn't control. I yielded to the music, the inspiration being my feelings. For once, I was completely distracted. There was nothing but the music to focus on.

I couldn't take my hands away from the piano keys, not even to brush the strands of hair that had fallen into my eyes. If I broke away, it would all be lost. I would break the concentration and the hauntingly beautiful composition would be lost forever. I couldn't do that. I refused to do that. I continued playing, letting my fingers work at their own accord.

When I played, it was like the world around me didn't exist, only Bella existed. She was my light, my inspiration, my life. Though I had told her those very words myself, it was much easier to express how she made me feel, how she impacted my life, how she made me reevaluate everything that I thought I was, through the music.

Every few minutes, one of my family members would walk into living room, trying to be discreet as they made their way toward the massive staircase. They pretended that they weren't listening to my playing. They feigned disinterest. Yet they lingered at the foot of the stairs a bit longer than necessary until I would casually glance their way and send them a tight smile.

The only one who made herself known was Esme.

She was standing a few feet away from me at the foot of the piano, her golden eyes shining brightly as she listened. A content smile had upturned the corners of her lips as she stood entirely too still, like a beautiful marble statue. Out of all my family, she was the one who appreciated my music the most. Though she had never given me a full explanation -- and I wasn't audacious enough to ask for one --, I suspected that she had played before she had been turned and it reminded her of her past. Or, perhaps, she simply enjoyed the music.

I continued playing as though Esme wasn't standing there. It was easy enough to ignore her presence at first. Soon, the natural, maternal warmth that radiated from her like a beacon on a dark, dreary night began to take its toll on me. The sudden weight on my chest was crushing and stole the breath right out of my lungs. I wasn't expecting the hectic, yet painstakingly beautiful images of Bella to invade my mind. My fingers strayed from the keys as the music slowly died away.

As the piece came to an end, I stared at my ghastly white hands on the piano keys. I didn't look up as Esme gracefully sank down beside me on the bench. I didn't flinch as her hand came up to brush the hair out of my eyes. I didn't move a muscle as she placed her hand on my shoulder and sighed.

"That's a new piece, isn't it?" She asked, her calculating eyes glued to my face.

I nodded, still not meeting her eyes. My beautiful Bella was assaulting my mind, making it impossible to think about anything but her shining face.

"It's beautiful, Edward." Esme said, her soft voice calming.

I gazed at the woman who had, over time, had become my mother. I smiled tightly at her and muttered my thanks.

Her sweet, bell-like laughter rang pleasantly in my ears. "You wrote that for Bella." It wasn't a question, but rather a statement.

Again, I bobbed my head. "Yes, I did." Unknowingly, of course, but it was inescapably clear that only Bella could inspire such music.

Esme stared unblinkingly at me for a few minutes, her lips frozen in a smile, her ocher eyes gleaming with pride. Neither of us spoke as she studied me, the smile never leaving her lips. Esme was always the most understanding when it came to Bella. Hell, she was the one who made me realize that I didn't like Bella just for her blood, but for other reasons as well. Not once did she doubt my feelings for her and for that, I was eternally grateful.

I opened my mouth to say something when, suddenly, Alice came barreling into the living room. Her eyes were wide with fear and I felt my stomach drop. If Alice was visibly frightened, it had to be terrible news. She placed a hand over her heaving chest as though she was trying to catch her breath, but I realized that she was trying to find the right words to say.

"What?" Esme's voice had risen an octave, worry etched onto her round face.

"It's Bella." Alice said hesitantly. I glanced at her marble hands and they were shaking.

Impatient as ever, we locked gazes and I read her mind. I quickly withdrew once I saw her vision.

"No," I whispered, unable to mask the fear and despair in my voice. I couldn't even begin to describe the wave of emotions that came crashing down on me. All I knew was that I couldn't let that happened to her. I refused to let any harm come to her and I'd be damned if she was going to die. I wouldn't allow it. Not when I had just gotten her back. I flinched when Esme's hand gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. I glanced at her and her once shining eyes were full of sadness. I blocked out her thoughts, not wanting to hear the unneeded pity.

I wasn't going to let anything happen to Bella.

"If we hurry, we might be able to get there before it happens." Alice spoke, trying to keep her voice as hopeful as possible, but it just wasn't enough. I could hear the underlying sadness in her voice. I felt like screaming at her that it wasn't definite. That there was a distinct possiblity that Bella would come out unscathed or, better yet, her vision wouldn't occur at all. But it had been so vivid, so clear.

After summoning Carlisle, the three of us left, piling into the back of Carlisle's Mercedes and speeding away from the house as fast as humanly possible.

But it wasn't fast enough. We were too late.

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A/N: All right, so there's the chapter. As always, let me know in a review if the characters are OOC. And, please, leave a review! You have no idea how much your opinions mean to me. Also, I'm sorry the chapter was so short, but I thought it was necessary. I promise that the next chapter will be much longer.


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: Wow guys, you blew me away with the response from last chapter! I'm sorry that it wasn't as long as usual, but I thought it was necessary and I wanted to save all the good stuff for this chapter! So, I'd like to say thank you to every single one of you who reviewed and without further ado, here's the fourth chapter! I hope you enjoy it!

**Disclaimer: Yes, I may own copies of Twilight and New Moon, but I don't actually OWN them. Sadness. **

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Chapter Four

The scene of the accident wasn't as horrific as it could've been, but that still didn't mean it wasn't brutal. Thick, dark tire marks were burnt into the surface of the black asphalt, skidding along for nearly thirty feet before they abruptly ended. There were a few spots of blood from the deer splattered against the pavement, but other than that, there was nothing. About fifty yards ahead of the freshly spilt animal blood, the police cruiser laid on its side, the passenger's side -- Bella's side -- smashed against the road.

"Oh my God." Alice breathed beside me, her hand flying to her mouth to stifle her gasp. I didn't have to glance at Carlisle to know that he was just as stunned as Alice.

I, however, felt incredibly numb.

The foul stench of gasoline hung thick in the air, yet I could still smell Bella's intoxicatingly sweet blood. Venom seeped into my mouth, sliding over my tongue and down the back of my dry throat. Clenching my fists at my side, I prepared to dash over to the car, to make sure that Bella was still alive, that her chest was still heaving, her heart still beating, when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Wait," Carlisle said.

"Wait?! She could be dying! She could already be-."

"She's not dead, Edward." He interrupted calmly. "But I just want to make sure that you're prepared to handle this."

I stared at him, at a complete loss for words, my mind a swirling mass of confusion. It didn't help that Alice's panicked thoughts were raging through my brain a mile a minute, throwing my concentration to the wind.

"Handle what?" I asked, swallowing the remaining venom in my mouth.

"The possible outcome of this…situation," Carlisle answered, his face a perfect mask of composure.

His tentative words took a few seconds to sink in. My dead heart clenched painfully in my chest as I gazed over his shoulder at the wreckage. I sniffed the air again; the scent of her blood was getting stronger. We had to hurry before it was too late. I locked eyes with Carlisle and, without uttering a single word, pushed past him and darted over to the overturned car.

Glass from the shattered windows crunched under my feet as I neared the vehicle. The odd mixture of gasoline and sickeningly sweet blood burned in my nose. Before venom could flood my mouth, I held my breath. The result was immediate: it was already easier to concentrate.

_Edward_, Alice's 'voice' cut through my thoughts like a sharp knife. My eyes flickered over to her and her face was grim. _We need to hurry. There's not much time. _

I tried to focus, squeezing my eyes shut tightly as I zeroed in on my thoughts. There were many possible things that we could do to get both Charlie and Bella out of the vehicle, but it had to be thought out clearly; we couldn't just pull them from the wreckage because we didn't know what their injuries were and how much damage had been done. Worry gnawed at the edge of my conscious, but I pushed it back. I couldn't let the anxiety of the situation get to me, not yet, not when there was still an immense amount of hope.

That was when I heard it. The one thing that could make me lose focus in the blink of an eye.

Her voice was weak and scratchy, trembling as my name rolled off her full lips. I could practically hear her struggling for breath as she spoke. "Edward?"

"I'm right here, Bella." I shouted loud enough so she could hear me. I started to move toward the other side of the car, the side that was pressed into the pavement, the side that my beloved was trapped in, when Alice grabbed my arm.

"No, not yet." She muttered, her dark eyes dancing with an undecipherable emotion. _Just listen to me, Edward. Wait until we can pull her out; you don't want to see what's happened. _

I swallowed the lump in my throat and opened my mouth to say something, but Carlisle spoke first;

"We're going to get you out, all right, Bella?"

"Okay." Her voice was faint, like it was a struggle for her to get the words out.

"But before we can do that, you have to tell me what hurts. So we won't cause further injury whenever we pull you out. Can you do that for me?"

"Yeah." Bella gasped, her breath catching in her throat.

"Tell me what hurts? Can you not feel anything? Do you think that anything's broken?" Carlisle was in doctor mode now, a determined expression firmly set into place as he clasped his wrists behind his back, his fingers twitching madly; he just couldn't resist jumping in head first and helping her -- or any patient for that matter -- out, but somehow, he managed to push the urge back.

She gulped down as much air as she could before croaking, "Everything." My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach.

"What hurts the most?" Alice asked suddenly, her sudden input catching me off guard.

"I-I-I can't feel my legs," Bella's voice raised a few octaves higher and the panic quickly took over her voice. "Edward, I can't feel my legs!"

"It'll be all right, Bella, I promise." I replied, barely masking my own anxiety. "Just stay calm."

"Is there anything else?" Carlisle pressed, his lips set into a grim line.

"My stomach hurts." She paused, gasping for oxygen before trailing off into a hacking cough.

My eyes flickered to Carlisle and we locked gazes. My stomach churned and, if had I been capable of vomiting, I would've been leaning against Alice for support. He spoke quickly to Alice and I, informing us that we needed to right the car before we could pull her out, exhuming extra precaution as we pulled her out.

With the assistance of Alice, we slowly eased the car down onto all four wheels. Alice didn't bother holding me back as I zipped over to Bella's side of the car. I could barely suppress my surprise at the sight of the vehicle. The entire side was crushed, both doors dented in and the shattered glass scattered across the pavement. I reached for the door handle, ready to put the door away from the car to get her out, but stopped mid-movement, my eyes wide with fright.

"W-what is it?" Bella wheezed, a small rivulet of blood streaming from the corner of her lips. She followed my gaze down to her torso and her breath immediately quickened, her lungs straining against the sudden wave of adrenaline. Her eyes were as wide as saucers and her hands shook as she reached to touch it.

I pushed her hand away, unable to tear my eyes away from the large, jagged piece of glass jutting out of her abdomen. Blood soaked her dark blue tee shirt. No wonder why she said that her stomach hurt.

She grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly. "Edward!" She cried hysterical. "Get it out! Take it out!" Hot tears were streaming down her cheeks as she held onto my hand for dear life.

"Carlisle!" I shouted over my shoulder, but it was unnecessary, as he was already there. I turned my fearful eyes toward him and asked, "What are you going to do?"

"We're taking her out of the car and we're going to make her more comfortable." Carlisle replied tonelessly. I stared at him for a few more seconds before he snapped me out of my own deadly train of thought by giving me instructions of how I should remove her from the cruiser. He turned his eyes to Bella. "You're going to need to calm down, all right? We don't want the glass to move."

She nodded and, as I slipped my arms under her knees, she grabbed a fistful of my shirt, staining it with her blood fingerprints. It took everything I had in me not to inhale the mouthwatering scent as I carried her a great deal away from the car and set her down on the pavement, her head in my lap as Carlisle began to work.

Alice sat down beside me, her face bleak. _Edward…_I locked eyes with her and prepared myself for the worst. Had she had a vision of the future and Bella was dead? The weight on my chest all but squashed my heart. _It's Charlie. He's…gone. _

I could see that her eyes were glassy and I knew that, if she were capable of tears, she would've been crying. I had forgotten how much she had liked Bella's father. I glanced down at Bella, her face was twisted in pain as Carlisle tried to work around the large piece of glass in her stomach, trying to stop the bleeding. She would be devastated when she found out. _If she finds out_. I cursed my subconscious mind and pushed away such thoughts. I couldn't deal with that right now, all that mattered was Bella's survival.

Her head trembled in my lap, her chest shaking violently as a terrible cough ripped through her torso. A sudden gush of blood poured from her mouth as she curled her fingers around my shirt and moaned into my thigh, staining my jeans a vibrant red. I could hear her lungs rumbling, slowly filling with the blood that was supposed to give her life, yet was slowly…killing her.

I tuned everything else out and focused on her heartbeat. I wished I hadn't. Her heart thrummed weakly in her chest and the time between the beats became wider. A distinct wave of fear washed over me, threatening to pull me under. I couldn't give up, not yet. Carlisle was here and he would fix it. He knew what to do. He could fix this. He **had** to fix this. He wouldn't let Bella die…would he?

_Not if he could prevent it. _

I shoved my thoughts to the back of my mind and tentatively stroked Bella's blood matted curls away from her forehead. Her chocolate orbs were wide with fright, moving about frantically. I didn't have to ask Carlisle what was wrong, for I already knew: she was in shock. I pressed my palm to her cheek and she leaned into my touch, a moan escaping her ruby red lips.

I continued to stare down at her, smoothing her hair back away from her forehead and keeping my other hand pressed against her cheek. Her eyes drifted shut for a few moments and a tranquil look passed over her face. If only I could read her mind. To know what she was thinking in that brief period of time would've given me time to brace myself for her next words that came spilling from her mouth.

Her shaky hand reached up to grab my collar, but before she could make the stretch, I lowered my ear to her lips. She spoke in a soft, quivering voice that barely gave away the fear that was trapped inside. She coughed several times and I felt her warm, sticky blood splatter against my cheek. I resisted the urge to inhale and, even worse, lick it off my cheek. But her words quickly shattered the world that I knew.

I pulled away, my golden eyes burning into hers with such intensity, they would've melted her eyes much like the color they resembled. I shook my head, my dead heart giving a painful squeeze in my chest. The pressure was heavier than ever and, before long, I wouldn't be able to handle it. I would crack. I couldn't afford to crack. Not now, not ever.

"Bella, no." I whispered, my own voice sounding incredibly pathetic in my ears. I continued to gaze into her eyes, silently pleading that nothing that she had just said would ever come true. Her dark orbs glimmered and I saw something I wish I would've never seen.

Finality.

Her heavy lids started to slide over her glazed eyes and I shook my head. "Bella…"

"I'm sorry." She breathed, her voice barely audible, even with my heightened sense of hearing.

"NO!" I roared, smashing my fist into the asphalt, leaving a huge hole in the ground. "Bella, please don't do this! Please don't leave me!"

"She's still alive." Carlisle said softly. I picked up my head and looked at my father. I listened closely and sure enough, she had a pulse. "But just barely. The glass shard may be blocking the arteries, but it's still not stopping the internal bleeding. If we take out it, though, I won't be able to stop the blood flow and she'll…" He trailed off.

I wiped the warm blood away from the corners of her mouth and stared at Carlisle with terrified eyes. "And if we leave it in?" I asked, my voice rough and shaking.

His expression was grim and Alice reached out for his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Either way, she dies."

The weight succeed in crushing me. It drove what little life I had left in me out. It stole away my light and there was no reason for living. What's the point of living whenever your light is stolen from you and you're condemned to darkness for all eternity? I refused to live without her. Everyone knew that.

"There is another way." Alice whispered, meeting my eyes and holding my gaze. _Bite her, Edward. Change her. _

"No." I snarled, baring my teeth.

_You rather her die, then? She doesn't have much else to live for, Edward. Charlie's gone._

I shook my head. "Anything is better then this existence."

"Do you really believe that?" Alice shouted. "Look at her, Edward! She's nearly dead! Do you really want her to rot six feet under ground while you walk the face of the Earth for all eternity, moping because you lost the love of your life?!"

Carlisle sighed. "Alice…"

"NO!" She screamed. Her black eyes turned cold, deadly as she growled, "If you don't bite her, then I will. I refuse to let our family fall apart because of your stubbornness."

My eyes darted to Carlisle and I sent him a pleading look. "Isn't there another way?" I begged, racking my brain for possible answers. Before he even spoke, I knew what he was going to say.

"This is the only way." He said grimly.

"It's what she would want, Edward." Alice threw in.

"How do you know that?" I hissed, glancing down at Bella's unmoving body. Her pulse was almost nonexistence and I knew that there wasn't much time left. In a matter of seconds, I made the most difficult decision in my life: if I refused to live without her, then I would cease to exist. While I didn't mind, I knew that my family would be hurt. I couldn't intentionally hurt my family, but then again, I couldn't condemn Bella to this life. She said she wanted it, but she didn't know what she was talking about. She hadn't lived like this, if living was what you could even call this pathetic existence.

All the memories we'd shared flashed before my eyes. Her beautiful face. Her shining smile. Her blush. I wouldn't get to see any of that if I let her die. And while I wouldn't be able to see her cheeks flush a bright pink, I would be able to see her every day for the rest of time. I never knew what love was until I met Bella and, now that I've seen the miraculous things it could do, I didn't want to let it go. But would Bella still love me for granting her immortality? Would she still want me whenever she had the world at her disposal?

"Edward…" Alice muttered. _There isn't much time. It's now or never. _

I peered at Alice before averting my eyes to Carlisle, who nodded solemnly. Then I did what I had fantasized about doing since I first met Bella Swan. I lowered my lips to her neck and, heaving a dry sob, sank my teeth into her warm flesh.

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A/N: So, that's the chapter. I hope you like it. Review as always and let me know what you think! I'll update soon, I promise!


	6. Chapter 5

A/N: Before I dish out the latest chapter of the story for your viewing -- or rather reading -- pleasure, I would just like to take a few moments and thank you guys. I know I say this every single chapter, but honestly, the reception of this story and the reviews that flood my inbox are amazing. When I first started this story, I didn't think that it was going to get that much of a good response, but lo and behold, it turns out that you guys actually like it! It's only going on the fifth chapter and I've already got over 100 reviews. I know that it's **that **impressive, but I still think it's pretty damn amazing! So, thank you each and every one of you for reading and reviewing. I can't express the gratitude I feel toward you and I hope you keep reviewing!

Oh, and before I begin this chapter, I would like to say that we're going to get a peak inside one of the mind's that is rarely visited: Jasper Hale. So, this entire chapter will be from his point of view and I hope you like it! So, without further ado, here it is! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: No, for the love of Edward, I don't own the rights to Twilight and/or New Moon. I wish I did, but alas, I don't. Let me drown myself in my tears of misery so we can all get on with our lives or the story! Ignore and excuse my stupidity . **

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Chapter Five

Tension hung thick in the air.

Wave after wave after wave of anxiety rolled off Esme, who was busy pacing in front of the unused fireplace. Her delicate hand plucked nervously at the pendant that hung around her pale throat, her light footfalls barely making a noise. I didn't have to posses the power of mind reading to know that Esme was worrying. The worry was damn near suffocating, for it was not only radiating off of Esme, but Emmett and, surprisingly, Rosalie. I knew they were all apprehensive for their own reasons, but I was only concerned about one person.

Suddenly, Esme stopped mid-stride, turning her dull gold eyes to the window. Within a matter of seconds, we were all staring out the front window, the glare of the headlights shining brightly through the thin lace curtains. Esme rushed over to the door, her caramel hair billowing behind her as she wretched it open, nearly taking it off its hinges. She flew down the front steps of the porch before any of us could make it outside.

That was when agony, pure and strong, struck me like a load of bricks, stealing the breath right out of my lungs. Had I been human, I would've been doubled over, clutching my chest and gasping for breath. I hurried down the front porch steps, making my way toward Alice. Her face was ashen and her pitch black eyes were dull. Her expression was that of despair and, before I had time to react, she launched herself into my arms, clinging to me for dear life. I held her tightly, stroking her short hair tenderly. I tried my best to calm her down, but it was impossible whenever a hoarse voice was screaming to put out the fire.

I looked down at Alice in question, but as soon as I met her eyes, I knew.

Edward had bitten Bella. She was going to become one of us.

I tore my eyes away from Alice's, still holding her close, and looked over at the black Mercedes in the middle of the yard. Carlisle and Edward were trying to get Bella out of the back seat, but without much luck. From here, I could see her pale legs kicking at them whenever they attempted to touch her. I was about to help, but before I could move, Edward had managed to yank a shrieking Bella out of the back of car and held her easily in an iron grip to his chest.

As he carried her up the steps up of the porch, I locked eyes with him. Pure hatred lurked in his dark eyes, but I knew that it was self-hatred. There was a certain sadness in his onyx orbs and, after a few seconds of staring into his eyes, I knew that he was trying to hold back his emotions, so that he wouldn't overwhelm me. Out of all my family, Edward was the only one who understood how difficult it was whenever everyone started panicking. Though he may not be able to sense emotions, he could read minds, whether he wanted to or not.

A torturous scream ripped through Bella's throat, making her sound more like a monster than a frail, human girl. She wriggled in Edward's arms as he walked through the doorway, careful not to bang her head against the door frame. Carlisle was close on his heel, holding Esme's small hand within his own. Emmett was no where in sight, but Rosalie stood in the center of the yard, her sheer surprise sending my mind reeling. I sent a wave of calm out through the house as well as the yard, but I knew that it wouldn't be enough. Nothing would ever be enough.

As I took Alice's hand in mine and pulled her through the threshold, I knew that the next three days were going to be a living hell, not only for me, but for Edward as well.

X - X - X

The first day of her transformation had been the worst.

Though I had never forgotten the intense fire that consumed me whenever I was changed, I was experiencing it all over again. Alice had suggested that we leave Forks for a few days, at least until Bella's transformation was complete. But I knew I couldn't leave my family, not whenever I could help them handle their emotion peril.

Out of all of my family, Edward was the worst.

After they had brought her inside the house and tied her wrists to the headboard with thick rope, he had to bite her four more times, so the venom would spread faster and her agony wouldn't last as long. I couldn't sense his emotions then, and I'm almost entirely positive it was because he wasn't feeling anything: he was an empty, hollow shell as he sank his teeth into her fleshly wrists and thighs. A dry sob had torn through his throat as she convulsed on the bed, making it creak loudly.

Although he stayed locked in the room with Bella, sitting by her side as she squirmed and screamed from the pain, the rapid spreading fire that burned her veins, his emotions were the strongest. At first, they had been confusing, as he wasn't sure what he should be feeling at that point in time, but after a short time, the first time that Bella cracked her eyes open and stared at him, shouting for his help and reaching out blindly for his hand, the guilt began to set in.

His guilt nearly suffocated me. It was like a tsunami, threatening to destroy anything and everything in its path, although I was the only thing that he could destroy aside from himself. He was so miserable with his guilt that he could barely move. He refused to leave her side, shouting profanities at the person who suggested such an outrageous idea. Of course, he had refrained from yelling as Esme, who was nearly as distraught as he was, but that still didn't mean he demanded that she leave the room.

We could all hear him heaving dry sobs, cursing himself to the fieriest pits of hell for condemning Bella to such a life, for putting her through such misery. The guilt never left him, but soon, other feelings accompanied it. First was the sadness, which burned with such intensity, I was close to tears myself. How one could feel so horrible about saving the life of the one they loved was beyond me. But Edward was a peculiar character. He tended to not only shoulder the guilt for everything he had played a part in, but he also took it upon himself to beat himself up mentally, berate himself until he was nothing. He would make himself feel like utter shit, just so he knew what others around him felt.

After the sadness left him, shock came bursting forth. He was appalled that he could do something like that to his Bella. He hadn't wanted this life for her, yet he had given it to her anyway. Although he hated the fact of living without her, at one point in time, he had wished that she would've been dead at the scene of the accident, that way, he could've gone back to the Volturi and they could've done off with him nice and easily. That way, he wouldn't suffer, nor would Bella. With the shock brought an insane amount of rage. He was angry with himself, angry with the way things had turned out, just flat out furious with the world around him. We all heard the glass vase shattering as he threw it against the wall. We all heard the legs of the bedside table snap and splinter as he chucked them at a bookcase. His rage was almost as suffocating as his guilt, which was saying something.

Once the shock had fled, he felt remorse. That was when he sobbed the hardest. He had taken away the one thing that made Bella special; he had taken away her humanity. The guilt became heavier then and, all too soon, Alice was grabbing me by the elbow and whisking me outside. She said that she didn't want me to handle this, she couldn't stand seeing me in pure misery as I tried to console my brother from a distance. Because, no matter how hard I tried, nothing seemed to be working.

X - X - X

It was the third day of Bella's transformation. Edward's raw and powerful emotions paired with Bella's pain had become overwhelming and I had to escape. I had finally given up and left the comforts of the indoors and exchanged them for the outdoors, where the sun was slowly sinking down upon the horizon, shining mockingly in our eyes.

The four of us were sitting outside beneath one of the massive oak trees in the front yard, each lost in our own thoughts. Rosalie had her head propped against Emmett's shoulder, an unusual and unidentifiable expression on her face. She emitted an odd aura of understanding, which when paired with annoyance was quite stifling. I didn't say anything about it, not wanting to carry out that particular conversation, as we all knew how it would end.

Emmett wasn't as upset as I thought he would be, although his normally light face was blank, his lively spirit seeming to have left him. Even Alice had surprised me with how coolly she was taking the whole situation, although I knew it was only for my sake. Bless her dead heart.

"What are you thinking about?" I whispered into her ear.

She shrugged her shoulders and sighed. "Everything."

I half-smiled down at her and opened my mouth to say something in reply, when Rosalie spoke; "Care to share what you two are talking about?"

Leave it to Rosalie to draw attention to herself whenever Bella was wriggling around in pain, scream after murderous scream erupting from deep within her chest.

"Don't look at me that way, Jasper." Rosalie snapped, sitting up a little straighter. "I know what you're thinking and I'm not trying to draw attention to myself. I just can't stand that," -- she threw a look over her shoulder and grimaced -- "noise. It's deafening."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and point out the obvious, clenching my jaw to keep from speaking.

"You know how horrific the transformation is, Rose." Alice replied softly, staring unseeingly over Emmett's thick shoulder.

"Just because I know how horrible it is doesn't mean that I want to listen to that obnoxious shrieking all day." Rosalie barked, her back straighter than a pin and eyes gleaming hotly. Anger rolled off her in tidal waves. I closed my eyes, wishing that Alice hadn't said anything.

"And then there's Edward," Rose continued, "He keeps sobbing and sobbing, breaking all of Esme's antiques in his rage! Why can't he just get over himself already and see the good side of this situation?"

"Because there is no good side. You of all people know that." Emmett said, his voice devoid of any emotion. I had forgotten how much Emmett liked Bella whenever she was human; she had become a little sister of sorts to him, someone for him to tease relentlessly about her clumsiness and embarrass, knowing that she wouldn't be able to kick his ass later on.

"You know, Rosalie," I started, causing three pairs of eyes to shift over to me. Their curiosity was stifling. I paused for a few seconds, searching for the right wording, when suddenly, the heftiest of waves of pain capsized over my head, pulling me under.

"Jasper?" Alice asked, her voice rising a few octaves higher. She took my face in her cold hands, staring into my eyes, her intense worry not lightening the load of emotional stress. "Jazz, what is-."

A horrific shriek, the most terrible sound that I have ever heard in my entire life, cut through the silent spring air. The pitch was so high, we were all forced to cover our ears with our hands. Alice pressed her head into my chest and I shielded her from the sound.

I gasped for breath, the unmistakable pain surging through me. It felt like I was right there with Bella, standing in the fieriest pits of Hell as the intense heat lapped around our feet, slowly working its way up our bodies and ensnaring us. Bella screamed, thrashing about madly as she tried to escape. Tears streamed down her face as she struggled against the hot binds, but nothing worked.

But just as soon as it came, it left. Swiftly and quietly. Her persistence died away as the tremendous pain fled. The spring air became still again.

A loud cry of anguish, despair, and misery broke through the stillness. _Edward_.

It was then that I knew that Bella's heart had stopped beating.

The transformation was complete.

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A/N: So, that's the chapter. I'm not sure that I liked this one as much as the others. And I'm also not sure that I portrayed all the characters correctly. I know it was a little short, but I didn't want to drone on and on about how horrible painful Bella's transformation was, as we all know how much it must suck, and I thought it would get a little repetitive. I hoped you like that I put it in Jasper's POV! The next chapter will return to Bella's POV and, most likely, I'm not making any promises though, remain in her POV until the story's over. So, that being said, REVIEW! You all know how much I enjoy hearing from you guys! In the name of all that is Edward Cullen, click the little purpely-blue box and drop a comment! Caio!


	7. Chapter 6

A/N: Once again, guys, you never cease to amaze me! Thanks so much for all those spiffy reviews! I wasn't expecting that large of a response, but I'm so glad the last chapter had such a positive reception. I was worried that it was a little too angst-y and such, but good to know that you all enjoyed it. So, without further ado, here's the sixth chapter! As I said at the end of last chapter, from this chapter onward, the story will be from Bella's POV...for the most part.

**Disclaimer: Nope. I still don't own it. **

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Chapter Six

I'm not entirely positive what woke me first: the multitude of voices or the intense hunger that roared inside me.

I suppose it was that smooth as velvet voice that persuaded me to open my eyes. His voice sounded even more heavenly than I had ever thought possible. It rang out pleasantly in my ears and I fought off a shiver of pleasure. His tone was soft and coaxing, similar to one that someone would use to persuade a small child to come out of their hiding place.

"Bella." There was a hint of a question in the undertone of his voice. My name rolled off his tongue easily, the sound itself musical. The bed shifted beneath me, the creaking of the springs piercing through my ear drums, and I felt his breath against my cheek, his lips pressing lightly to my cheek.

"Are you all right?"

Slowly, not certain what I would see, I opened my eyes. I gasped in awe: my vision had been magnified by a tenfold. Everything was so much clearer, much more precise. He sat up slightly, his face a few inches away from mine. My eyes widened in surprise.

It was like I was seeing Edward for the very first time. The planes of his high cheekbones were sharper, much more defined. His bronze hair seemed more elegantly disheveled than ever as it swooped down into his eyes. His deep set, coal black eyes gazed back at me, although I wasn't entirely sure what emotions lurked in the dark depths.

"You're more beautiful than I ever thought possible," I whispered. My eyes widened again. Had I just spoken, or did that smooth, somewhat lusty voice really just come from me? I attempted to move my hand to my throat to show just how surprised I was, to make sure that I wasn't hallucinating, but my wrist was suddenly jerked backward.

Locking gazes with Edward, he licked his lips, a subtle gesture I had never seen from him until now, and reached forward, his skin brushing against mine. I gasped and he hurriedly pulled back, concern deeply etched into his finely sculpted, marble face. "What's wrong?"

I blinked, making sure that our skin was, in fact, touching. "Y-you're not cold."

"No, I'm not cold." Edward laughed softly and smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. An unwanted shiver rolled up my spine as I stared into his black as night orbs, not liking the emotions that lurked in the indescribable depths.

I shifted uncertainly and averted my eyes, staring at a spot over his shoulder. "You mean I'm-."

"Yes." He said quickly as he sat up, making no point to mask the venom in his voice, all traces of his good mood gone.

I swallowed as I was struck by the sudden realization of what his words confirmed. I struggled to grasp the reality of it. Had it really come true; the desire I had been wishing for so long now, just as simple as that? I blinked and pushed myself up into a sitting position, the springs groaning loudly and making me wince at the sharp sound.

I scooted over to the edge of the bed, carefully distributing my weight as I moved along so that the creaking wouldn't slice through my eardrums and make them bleed, as I was thoroughly convinced would happen should the noise keep up. Once I was by his side, Edward seemed to lean away from me, as though he didn't want to touch me.

Hurt surged through my body and I fought back the urge to cry, as I knew it was something I was incapable of doing, so therefore, it would only be a waste of my time as well as my emotions. I pushed the hurt away, pushed it down deep where the foreign but fierce fire lurked within my chest.

Hesitantly, I reached out to him, lying my hand on his shoulder. He stiffened under the pressure of my hand as I splayed my fingers around, my skin itching to touch bare skin. Even though the material of his shirt, the contact was burning me.

"Edward…" I whispered, starting slightly at the sound of my own voice; it was something that would take me quite sometime to get used to.

He turned his head toward me, tilting his chin slightly to look me in the eye. His black eyes bore into mine, an underlying frustration mounting in the deep depths. I stared back, uncertain of the emotions that my own optics conveyed.

I bit back a gasp whenever I saw his dark eyes glazed over with tears that would never fall. I quickly closed the distance between us and took his face in my hands. Although I had touched his face countless times before, it was like I really feeling the sharp contours of his cheekbones, the smooth hardness of his skin, all for the very first time. He averted his gaze, casting his eyes to his pale hands that lay in his lap.

His chest heaved a mighty sigh. "Bella, I'm so so-."

"Shhh," I breathed, placing my finger to his lips. We locked gazes again as I brought my face closer to his. I pressed my forehead against his and, soon, I felt his hands come to rest on either side of my face.

I have no idea how long we sat like that, on the edge of the bed, holding each others' faces as we gazed into one another's eyes. The rush of emotions that fluttered through his dark eyes scared me more than it should have; not because I was unsure if I felt the same way about him, of course not, I would always love and cherish Edward with every fiber of my being, but because none of the emotions were _good_, not a single one of them was _bright_. Had I done something wrong? I choked on the breath in my throat and struggled to hold back a painful gasp. What if he didn't love me anymore? What if he decided that changing me was a total waste?

"Bella?" His silky voice sounded alarmed. It was then I realized that my eyes had strayed from his.

I returned my gaze to Edward's face and struggled to regain control of my breath, even though I knew it wasn't necessary for me to breathe in the first place. I searched his eyes for any feeling, but saw that they were devoid. A rush of horror swept over me.

"Bella, what is it?" His voice was sharper, more demanding and I was forced to look at him.

"I-I-I," I broke off, unsure of how to answer. I bit my lip and his fingertips gently massaged my scalp. I closed my eyes for a brief second, trying to handle the swirl of emotions that threatened to overtake me. Where was Jasper when you needed him, I thought in exasperation as I opened my eyes.

"Tell me." He urged.

It was unfair that, even though I was his equal now, he still managed to dazzle me.

"Have I done something wrong?" I questioned, unable to hold back my words no matter how hard I tried. Damn him and his smoldering eyes.

A look of disbelief flashed across his face and he pulled back from me. I longed for the contact. Really now, how much more pathetic could I get? He was sitting less than three inches away from me and I wanted even more of him? I fought the urge to roll my eyes and focused on the issue at hand, even though I was a bit miffed that he had managed to get the truth out of me without much effort.

"What?" He asked, the disbelief that was very apparent on his face coloring his voice. "Where on Earth did you get such a preposterous idea, Bella?"

"I-I don't know." I replied, weakly.

"Isabella," Edward said, his musical voice suddenly stern, yet oddly soft at the same time. I took some comfort from the loving undertone that resided the musical notes. "You have done nothing wrong. You hear me: _nothing_. Do I make myself clear?"

I wanted so very much to believe that he was lying, but I couldn't, for his eyes were too full of truth and his voice too strong with conviction. I shivered slightly as I nodded. "Yes," I muttered softly, not sure that I believed myself.

"I mean it, Bella." Edward continued, drawing my eyes once again to his seraphic face. "You are not to doubt yourself. Ever." It was a command, not a choice. I bobbed my head in agreement, although a flicker of doubt surged through his eyes. "I mean it."

"I know," I whispered, running the pad of my thumb along the length of his cheekbone. I smiled as best as I could, although I knew that he would see right through it. "I love you." I said, making sure that sincerity rang clear in each and every word.

His face broke out into a smile, only this time, the smile did reach his eyes. My dead heart soared and I grinned back. What can I say? His smile was contagious.

"I love you, too." Edward replied, his voice sending thrills throughout my body.

"Then why don't you show it?" I shot back, raising a brow in amusement.

He grinned back wickedly and, if my heart had been capable, it would've been fluttering wildly, sending my blood pumping through my veins at break neck speed. Apparently, I hadn't been the only one thinking such a thought.

"Please?" I added, pulling Edward out of his own dangerous train of thought.

"As you wish." He muttered, leaning forward to close the gap between our mouths with my favorite lopsided smile stretched across his lips.

It started out innocently enough. Our lips were sealed tightly together as we sat completely still for a few moments, drinking in the waves of pleasure radiating off one another. But then, all too soon, I found myself pressed against his chest, my arms wound around his neck and my fingers threading themselves through his head of thick, auburn hair. I immediately stiffened, waiting for him to pull away, but it never happened.

Instead, he prodded the corner of my mouth with his tongue and I parted my lips, allowing him entrance.

I moaned against his mouth and he pulled me closer, crushing me to his chest. His hands slowly slid up the sides of my arms, every inch of my skin that he touched burning with such ferocity, I was convinced that I was still changing. I kissed him back as just reverently, losing myself in the wild abandoned that overtook me. Our tongues danced wildly and, as I fought back the urge to moan into his mouth yet again, I was mildly surprised and deeply satisfied to hear that I elicited a groan from him.

In one swift movement, I was flat on my back with Edward on top of me, kissing me in a way that we had never been able to. I tightened my grip on his hair, giving a small tug on his thick locks, to which I felt his smile against my mouth. The warmth was indescribable, if nothing else. It was odd, seeing as we were both so cold, yet somehow, we had managed to ignite this spark between us that couldn't seem to flame out.

He pulled back slightly, our lips breaking apart. I made a noise of protest from the back of my throat, but then I realized that our chests were heaving, despite the fact that we didn't depend on oxygen. If we wanted to, we could've kept at it for hours. I was ashamed at how much that excited me, though at the same time, I wasn't. I sent him a questioning look before I noticed that his lip was…

"You're bleeding!" I said, pushing myself up into a sitting position as Edward knelt in front of me. I raised myself to my knees, the bed groaning in protest beneath us. "What happened?" I asked as I ran a finger over his broken lip.

He stared at me in disbelief. "Bella," He began, somewhat hesitant, although a smile threatened to upturn the corners of his lips. "You…bit me."

"Oh God, Edward! I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to! It's just that I got so caught up in the moment that I didn't realize what I was doing, and does it hurt? Are you all right? Say something, Edward!"

"If you haven't noticed, Bella, I'm perfectly fine." Edward said, drawing my attention to his lip. I was shocked to see that the wound had already sealed itself shut. Before I could open my mouth to ask any questions, he grabbed my hand and pulled me off the bed.

"Where are we going?" I asked as he threw a sweatshirt at me. I raised a brow in question before tugging the worn shirt over my head.

His lips set themselves in a hard, grim line as he replied, "Hunting."

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A/N: All right, so that was chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it! I'm not entirely sure I like this. I mean, yes, it's cute and all, but it might be _too _fluff too early? Maybe? Anyway, as always, leave me pretty reviews!


	8. Chapter 7

A/N: Keep the reviews coming, guys, and I'll keep cranking out the chapters! I promise I won't give up on this story until it's complete! You guys rock the socks right off my feet with your kudos! 200+ ALREADY! You have no idea how much I'm feeling the love!

Oh, and just in case you were wondering, the reason why Bella bit Edward whenever they were snogging wasn't because she was hungry. Well, it had something to do with it, but at the time, she had no idea just how thirsty she was. She actually bit him on accident, you know, because she got caught up in the heat of the moment and, occasionally, whenever that happens, some people, well, they bite. Lol. That's the best way I can explain it.

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own it.

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Chapter Seven

He hadn't spoken a word since we left the house; it was unnerving. I had made a few pathetic attempts to start up a conversation, but every time I did, the words got stuck in my dry throat.

I had hardly noticed the hunger at first; I had been too caught up in Edward's presence, drinking in every bit of him that I could before I had to face the reality of what I had become. I just didn't think that I would have to go hunting so soon. But as we walked further from the house, pushing the massive branches of the trees out of our way as we delved deeper into the thick forest, the burning in the pit of my stomach intensified, slowly working its way up my throat until it left a simmering bubble of thirst, several drops of sweet tasting venom filling my mouth.

It was hard to ignore, the hunger. I tried my hardest, swallowing the low growls that threatened to escape my mouth whenever a bird flitted by, the smell of its tangy blood filling my nostrils and making the beast within roar. But somehow, I had managed to keep my growls to myself. Each and every time the urge to attack the nearest thing to me came, Edward gave my hand a tight squeeze, almost as though he could read my mind and knew that I needed the comfort.

Or maybe, he felt sympathetic, as he had experienced in same, insatiable thirst nearly a hundred years ago.

Before I knew what was happening, I slammed right into Edward's back, my breath leaving my lungs. I was surprised to see that Edward had stumbled, slightly taken back by the force I had walked into with. When he threw a slightly amused look over his shoulder, I shrugged and offered a sheepish smile.

I opened my mouth to say something, but he pressed a finger to his lips, signaling that I should be quiet. I closed my lips and he gave my hand a small tug to the left. I stepped around him so that I was standing beside him. I squeezed his hand and his eyes flickered to my face, the smallest hint of a smile lingering in the dark depths.

I don't know how long we stood there, stiller than statues, in the center of the forest. I let my eyes scan the surrounding area. The trees were much closer together, the top branches coming together to form a canopy and blocking out all traces of sunlight. Yet, even though I knew it should be dark, I could see perfectly, as though many beams of bright light penetrated through the thick branches and bathed the ground with gold.

I tilted my head upward slightly, to measure just how high the trees grew in the center of the forest. I had been doing a mental calculation, trying to remember the correct formula for figuring out the height when you didn't even know the angles, when a light breeze drifted past us. I inhaled, relieved to finally be breathing the fresh air.

I wish I hadn't.

My senses were attacked by a peculiar mixture of sweet and bitter scents, the fire inside my stomach spreading rapidly through my body. I was flabbergasted by how easy it was to block out all the unattractive scents and focus on the ones that were making my mouth water.

Another gust of wind swirled our way and I felt dizzy, my nostrils overwhelmed by the lustrous scent of blood. Unlike when I was human, the fragrance of blood was actually _attractive_ and not completely repulsive.

When I opened my mouth to say something, I was taken back by the low, guttural snarl that came forth; it sounded like my chest was ripping apart. Edward, on the other hand, didn't seem as shocked as he suddenly dropping into a low crouch.

Before I knew what was happening, I was being yanked downward, my feet sliding out from underneath me. I nearly pitched forward, but Edward grabbed a fistful of my shirt and pulled me back, my butt slamming into the ground. There goes my hope of being graceful as a vampire.

"Edward, what-."

His hand clamped over my mouth and he stared into my eyes, trying to communicate with me. I wanted to scream that I didn't have a clue just what the heck he wanted me to do and he might as well give up, because no matter how hard he tried, he would never be able to read my mind.

"This is it." He whispered in explanation, an indescribable undercurrent of sorrow finally surfacing. My chest clenched painfully at the look that danced across his beautiful features, tainting the angelic planes with an expression that just didn't belong; no angel should ever look so tortured.

He hesitantly dropped his hand from my mouth, his fingers brushing against my lower lip ever-so-lightly. I struggled to hold back my quiver as I followed his gaze. Through the thick brush, I could faintly see a clearing naught but forty feet ahead of us. There was so much bracket that, even with my enhanced vision, it was difficult to make out where it started and where it ended. I stared at the clearing for a few more seconds before turning my eyes to Edward.

"Am I supposed to see something?" I asked, my voice barely audible, although I knew that he heard me. "Because, if I am, then there's something wrong with me." I added, sending him a pointed look whenever a smirk threatened to upturn his lips. I reached out to smack him on the arm playfully, but he caught my arm before I could.

Edward delicately pressed his finger to my lips and shook his head. "Don't talk or you'll startle them." I nearly laughed, but he sent me a look. I nodded and he added gently, "And there's nothing wrong with you."

I parted my lips to speak, but he pushed his finger harder against my lips, silencing me all together. He dropped his hand and put a few inches between us, although I wasn't entirely sure what good that would do us. Eyes trained on Edward, I was more than slightly confused whenever his eyes slowly drifted shut. It took a few moments for it to finally click: he was listening and something told me that I should be doing the very same thing. I closed my eyes and focused all my attention on hearing, rather than the intense electrically current that was flowing between us.

We sat, hidden behind the bushes, for nearly ten minutes before I finally heard something. In all actuality, I smelt them before I heard their hooves snap the branches they trotted over. The simmering heat in my stomach suddenly flared, traveling up my throat, catching it ablaze, faster than I ever thought possible. I had shifted positions so quickly, my back arched and fingertips brushing the ground, much like a runner, that I barely had time to register that I had moved at all.

The fire burned ferociously, the beast inside clawing at my chest, waiting -- no _demanding_ -- to be released. The corners of my lips pulled back, revealing my gleaming, razor sharp teeth as an aggravated growl tore through my throat. If I didn't give into the hunger soon, I was going to go mad with thirst.

As if he was reading his mind, Edward laid a hand on my shoulder, lowering his lips to my ear. I was too far gone with hunger to tremble whenever his lower lip brushed my earlobe. I could barely register his musical voice as he spoke to me in the softest of whispers, for the monster inside was snarling angrily.

"Strike the first one you come across as quickly as you can; the others will start the second they sense your presence, which will, most likely, be immediately. Be precise and don't try to chase after the others. Just zero in on one and attack. If you're still hungry, then we'll track down another herd." He coached, his voice devoid of any emotion.

I grunted in response, shifting my weight from foot to foot in anticipation. The sharp cracking of a twig rang out through the silence the a gunshot. The arch in my back became more pronounced, my stance more cat-like and predatorily. Venom flooded my mouth as the small herd of deer came into the clearing. A hiss escaped my mouth as I readied myself for the attack, my head swirling as the scent of their delicious blood assaulted my senses.

As soon as Edward released my shoulder, I released the monster within, letting it consume me completely as I leapt out from the brush and pounced the first doe within my reach. Before I was aware of what was happening, I opened my mouth, venom dripping down my chin as I clamped my teeth down around the fleshy neck of the deer, piercing the thick hide with my sharp teeth.

After the first few droplets of blood touched my tongue, I sank my teeth deeper into the deer's neck, jerking my head back as I ripped away the skin away from the deer's throat. Blood poured into my mouth the way water would surge should the levee break. Almost instantly, the intense fire within my chest began to subside. As I continued to drink from the deer, my senses returned and I was aware of everything around me. The beast slowly quieted until its might roar was a soft, but content purr. Once I had drained the animal of all its blood, I released my teeth from around its neck and let it fall out of my hands, where it slid to the ground with a dull _thunk_.

I could truly say that I had never been so satisfied, yet unsatisfied at the same time. While I was glad that my thirst had been quenched, I wanted more of the bittersweet blood that was now coursing through my veins.

I backed away from the carcass, unable to tear my eyes away from it. It looked so pathetic, lying there on the grass, its eyes glazed over with what could only be properly described as death. I had killed the animal; I had ripped away its life, just because I was hungry. I wanted to be sad, really, I did, but somehow I couldn't mourn the life of one deer, no matter how much I wanted to. The feeling of not caring was completely foreign to me and I didn't like it at all. My chest clenched and I continued to back away from the deer.

Once I was a few feet away from the dead animal, I pivoted on my heel and nearly ran right into Edward's chest. We stared into each other's eyes for an unexplainable amount of time. His eyes were full of sadness, of remorse, and…was that regret? It was hard to ignore the sting that surged through my chest.

He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off, placing my index and middle fingers over his mouth. "Just take me home." I said quietly, tracing the corner of his lip as I lowered my hand back to my side. He smiled at me, though it didn't reach his eyes, as he nodded his head and took my hand, threading his fingers through my own.

X - X - X

"They're here." Edward muttered in my ear as we approached the backyard.

There was no need to ask him who he meant, as it was rather obvious. I simply bobbed my head and walked toward the house, only to be pulled back.

"What's wrong?" I asked, looking up into his face, still unable to believe just how gorgeous he was.

"You're a bit of a mess." He said, plucking a leave from my hair and holding it up in front of my face. A grin quirked at the corners of his lips.

It was hard to keep up with how Edward was feeling; he had more mood swings than a pregnant woman and that was putting it lightly.

"Is that all?" I questioned, smiling despite myself as I took a step toward him, not stopping until my chest brushed against his.

He lifted his hand to my face and ran the backs of his knuckles along my jaw. I tilted my head as he reached my chin, expecting him to feel the curve of my neck, when his fingers lingered around the edges of my lips.

"You have a spot of blood on the side of your mouth." Edward informed me, a slow smile spreading across his lips. "Then again, you've always been a relatively messy eater."

I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could get a word out, Edward's lips descended upon my own. Unlike the first kiss we shared after I had awoken, this one was much gentler. I pushed myself up on my tiptoes before breaking away from him. This time, it was Edward who made a noise of disappointment.

"Stop your whining," I teased, reaching up to push a lock of bronze hair that had fallen into his eyes back into place.

"Whining?" He replied as he swung around to my side and led us toward the massive, white house.

"Yes, you heard me. You were whining." I said in a matter-of-factly tone of voice.

"I'm almost entirely certain that I was **not** whining."

"Then what was that little noise you made after I pulled away?" I raised a brow. _Top that, you cheeky, too-beautiful-to-be-real bastard. _

"That wasn't whining," Edward said. "It was groaning in disappointment."

I rolled my eyes. "They're practically the same thing."

"Au contraire, mon amour," He paused, looking down at my shocked expression. Though I was well aware that he spoke the language fluently, Edward had never uttered a word of French around me. Now, I found myself wishing that he had because then, I would've ordered him to speak to me in nothing but French. He smiled as he continued, "They are two very different things."

"Really?" I arched my brow higher. "Pray tell how they are so different."

"It's simply, really." Edward said as we walked up the steps of the back porch in perfect unison. He reached out for the wooden handle of the sliding glass door. "Whining is for children and I am a grown man."

I snorted, but before I had time to retort, the door glided open and a familiar voice was asking, "Are you sure about that, Eddie?"

A giggle escaped my lips as I smiled up at Emmett. I'm certain that if I hadn't been holding onto his hand, Edward would've lunged at Emmett not only for making that wise crack, but for using the nickname he hated more than anything else in the world. I had made the mistake of teasing him about it once before and when I asked Alice why he hated it so much, she burst out into a fit of giggles and told me that it was a story for another time. I made a mental note to remind her to tell me that particular tale.

Emmett turned his golden eyes to me and smiled brightly before stepping out of the doorway. As I walked past him, he placed one of his large, pale hands on my shoulder and gave it a brotherly squeeze.

"It's nice to have you back, Bella." He said sincerely, his smile reaching his gleaming, ocher orbs.

I couldn't help but smile in response as I stepped into the kitchen. It took Edward a bit longer than usual to step through the door, as he was grumbling to Emmett, who snickered and earned himself a particularly nasty glare from Edward.

I rolled my eyes as Edward reached for my hand, pulling me through the kitchen. I was amazed that I didn't stumble over the small piece of wood glued to the floor that separated the kitchen from the dining room, which I had made a habit of during our first summer together. I could hear their hushed voices before we walked into the living room, so I wasn't surprised to see all the Cullens, including the beautiful Rosalie, standing in the center of the room, surrounding the coffee table.

Alice was the first to react. She darted from her perch on the arm of the couch and flew over to where I was standing beside Edward. Without even acknowledging her brother, she flung her arms around me, squeezing me as though her life depended on it. I found myself returning her hug just as fiercely, tears brimming the edges of my eyes.

She pulled away after a few seconds and stroked my hair affectionately. I sent a watery smile at her and she returned it with a small grin. Turning her eyes to Edward, her grin grew rapidly and her golden eyes glimmered mischievously.

"Finally," was all she said.

"Finally?" Edward and I questioned at the same time, a confused expression fixed on my face while Edward wore one of irritation.

"Yes, finally." Alice repeated, nodding her head as she pivoted on her heel to look at Jasper and Emmett, who shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny. "I believe this is the part where I say 'I told you so'."

Jasper rolled his eyes, not uttering a single word and Emmett sighed. "Come on, that was just a silly bet."

I leaned over to Edward and whispered, "A bet? Did you know about this?"

He shook his head and glanced at all his siblings, no doubt searching their minds. Once he had found the information he wanted, Edward spoke into my ear. "They made a bet against Alice that I wouldn't change you."

"This just goes to show them that there's truth in the words 'Don't bet against Alice'." I joked, a feeling of elation surging through me whenever he grinned brightly at me, swooping down to place a kiss on my cheek. I, however, turned my head at the right moment and his lips lightly brushed against me.

We were so wrapped in our own little bubble that we didn't notice Emmett and Alice were yelling at one another until Esme's soft, motherly voice cut through the exterior of our little world. "Really now. You two are acting like children."

I gave a small laugh, causing everyone to look at me. Everyone wore different expressions, but for the most part, they all appeared to be generally happy. My eyes flickered to Jasper and I found that he was already staring at me. A small smile upturned the corners of his lips and I grinned back shyly. Since I wasn't such a hazard to be around, would Jasper and I actually get a chance to develop a friendship?

Once Alice and Emmett had finished their tiny 'argument', the attention was turned back to me. I shifted uncomfortably under their scrutiny and gave Edward's hand a tight squeeze. Esme took a step toward me, Carlisle inches behind her. After the briefest moments of hesitant, she wrapped her arms around me in a motherly hug. I didn't hesitate to return her embrace, nearly crying whenever she whispered how happy she was that I was finally apart of the family and that, even though she had always considered me a daughter, I was really was one now.

When she stepped away, tears threatening to spill over her eyelids, though I knew that they never would, I turned to Carlisle and was surprised whenever he extended his hand. "Welcome to the family, Bella." He said, his voice full of pride and, oddly enough, affection.

I glanced at his hand, unsure if I should shake it or just go with my instinct. I chose option number two and wrapped my arms around him in a tight, appreciative hug. "Thank you," I murmured quietly into his ear. He seemed a bit taken back by the sudden movement, as well as my words, but after he recovered, Carlisle gave me a small squeeze before releasing me.

I took my place beside Edward as Emmett came strolling forward, a devious look stretched across his features. Rosalie, however, remained by the couch. I prepared myself for an infamous crushing bear hug from Emmett, only to find that he stepped toward Edward first.

"Congratulations, man." He said, enveloping his brother in a hug.

Edward stared at Emmett in amazement as the much burly of the two stepped out of the embrace and turned to me. He grinned before wrapping his arms around my waist and crushing me to his chest, lifting me so high off the ground that my toes skimmed the floor. I giggled as he set me back down and ruffled my hair in a very brotherly fashion.

"I finally got the baby sister I've always wanted." Emmett joked, tweaking my nose before throwing another look full of implications at Edward.

Edward's eyes widened for the briefest of seconds before narrowing into pitch black slits. Emmett laughed heartily as he took his place beside Rosalie, grabbing his gorgeous wife's small hand in his massive grip.

I believed that my little initiation into the family to be complete, so whenever I smiled appreciatively at them and opened my mouth to say thank you, I was shocked whenever Jasper piped up,

"Don't I get a hug?"

My eyes were as wide as saucers as Jasper smiled at me. Really, truly smiled at me for the very first time. He should do it a lot more; he looked very handsome whenever he grinned.

Beside me, Edward laughed, whether it was because of the expression on my face or a particular thought he had caught from one of his siblings. Everyone was looking at me expectantly, although I knew that amused glint in their amber eyes. I took a step forward and, surprisingly, Jasper came walking right up to me and gave me a short, but sweet hug. He patted me on the back, muttering something in my ear that I would never forget; "Thanks for making Edward so happy."

Jasper pulled back, winking at me before returning to Alice's side. She sent him a questioning look before her eyes flickered to me. I merely smiled back and took Edward's hand, knowing that I had my family's support. I was ready for anything the world had to throw at me.

Well, almost everything.


	9. Chapter 8

A/N: How amazing do I think you are? Well damn, I just don't think I can put into words how much I appreciate your reviews. Keep them up, guys! I love them; they inspire me to keep going so that you all can draw some amount of enjoyment from this. Although why you all like reading this piece of crap is beyond me, but I thank you anyway for your time and your kudos. So, that being said, here is chapter eight.

And if you ever have any questions, feel free to ask them in a review and I'll try to get back to you all either personally or at the beginning of the chapter in my author's note, should the question be a commonly asked one.

So, without further ado, here's the chapter! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I. Don't. Own. Twilight. Thanks so very much for reminding me. **

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Chapter Eight

The gathering, for lack of a better word, in the living room didn't continue much longer after I had hugged Jasper. Much to my surprise, Rosalie had come up to me, placing a timid hand on my shoulder, and made eye contact with me. I was stunned, not expecting anything from her, and even though the gesture was simple, it still meant something to me. There had been a strange glimmer in her amber eyes. Could it have been acceptance? She herself had told me that she wasn't opposed to having me as a sister, she just didn't want my humanity to be taken away from me whenever I had no clue what their existence was like.

But try as I might to concentrate on what Edward, Esme, and Carlisle were chatting about, I couldn't. I was still touched, not to mention, a little more than slightly confused, by Jasper's words. I didn't understand how I was making Edward happy. He had always been so opposed to turning me and, although it hurt, I knew that he only changed me because I was on the brink of death. That fact alone was very hard to swallow, much like a big pill with no glass of water. Although he certainly was smiling a lot more than I'd expected him to, I knew it was only for my sake, to show me that he wasn't regretful about changing me, that he just felt guilty for taking away my death.

I already knew what he would do without me. And I couldn't bear to think about it.

Luckily, Carlisle's voice saved me from my own potentially dangerous line of thought.

"Bella, I'd like to talk with you and Edward in my office for a few minutes." His voice was kind and light, although there was a mysterious undertone that suggested this little private meeting wasn't going to be so pleasant.

"All right." I swallowed roughly and nodded my head, taking a step toward where Edward was standing beside Carlisle.

"Wait." Jasper said suddenly, startling not only me, but apparently Esme as well. Apparently, he had sensed my nervousness. His eyes flickered from Edward's face to mine. "Wouldn't you like to get cleaned up, Bella? I mean no offense, but you look like a mess."

"Oh." I muttered weakly. Here I was expecting him to make some sort of prophecy, but alas, it was the wrong Cullen. The correct one was in the kitchen doing God knows what.

I glanced down at my tee shirt, shocked to see that the deer's blood had splattered on the wore, gray fabric whenever I had fed. My eyes darted to Edward and I narrowed them into slits, glaring at him. He seemed to know what I was thinking and shrugged his shoulders.

"What? You didn't ask me if you 'looked like a mess'." His voice was dripping with feigned innocence.

I rolled my eyes, heaving a heavy sigh, but could barely fight off the smile. It was true, I hadn't asked him if I looked like a train wreck. In fact, I didn't ask him anything about my appearance. He was the one who pointed out the spot of blood on my mouth. He had been the one who made the jab that I ate like a pig. Did I have it dripping down my throat?

"I'll take her upstairs to get cleaned up," Alice offered as she came around the corner, a bright smile on her face.

"No makeovers." I said sternly, rousing a bout of laughter for everyone in the room.

"Don't worry, Bella," Alice chided as she guided me toward the stairs. "Something tells me that you won't need a makeover anytime soon."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that's always good to know."

We started up the stairs at what I thought was a normal pace, but apparently, it wasn't. We had cleared the stairs in a matter of seconds and it had felt like I had been moving at a slow, steady pace. That was definitely take a while to get used to.

Alice led me into one of the guest bathrooms, grabbing all of the essential toiletries out of the linen closet in the hallway, muttering under her breath the whole time. I could faintly catch some of her words, although they confused me. I was quite positive I heard the phrases "not ready" and "too soon", but I had no idea what she was talking about. While my hearing was enhanced, it wasn't as good as I had originally believed it to be.

The pixie-like vampire came dancing back into the bathroom, a fluffy blue towel tucked under her arm. She placed them in my hands and instructed how to work the temperature nozzle on the showerhead, although she assured me that I turn it to the hottest level it could go, as it would not only be the most comfortable, but would relax the tension in my stone muscles. I laughed shortly, quickly cut off by the look she sent me as she started up the shower.

"And take as much time as you need. The water heater won't run out of steam." She snorted at her own pun, whereas I rolled my eyes playfully. Alice floated towards the door, still mumbling under her breath, although it was much too fast and quiet for me to pick up on. Whenever the door snapped closed behind her, I turned around and ran over to the bathroom sink, only to find that there wasn't a mirror hanging above the sink like I had expecting there to be.

A growl escaped my throat. I actually had to wait to see what wonders the venom had worked on my average appearance. But judging by Edward's reaction, it couldn't have been much. I sighed to myself again, tugging the tattered and blood stained sweatshirt over my head, only to find that I was wearing an unfamiliar white tee shirt underneath it. I inhaled the scent and my head spun: it was Edward's shirt. I was hesitant about taking it off, but eventually, I did, folding it up nicely and placing it on the counter. Once I had stripped myself of all articles of clothing, I stepped into the steamy shower.

Alice was right, the hotter the water was, the more relaxed I became. I scrubbed off the layers of dirt that seemed to have embedded themselves in my skin, disgusted by the brownish-red swirl that spiraled down the drain. While a part of me wanted to rush through the shower, another part screamed for me to take it slow, that I might not like what I had in store for me. I swallowed the dry lump in my throat and tried not to dwell on what Carlisle wanted to discuss with Edward and I. Perhaps he was just coming up with plan. My eyes widened.

What if, because of me, the Cullens had to leave Forks?

My dead heart dropped to the pit of my stomach and I felt like coughing it back up. They couldn't leave because of me! I wouldn't let them. If anyone had to leave, it was me. I was the only one in any potential "danger" of being seen.

I shook my head and, before I could let my thoughts get the better of me, I shut off the shower, leaning against the tiled wall. I closed my eyes, taking deep and steady breaths to calm my hectic mind and arrange my chaotic thoughts. I was getting ahead of myself; for all I knew, Carlisle could simply want to discuss what was going to happen in the future. Yes, that was it. He just wanted to talk to Edward and I about our future. A small flare of hope heated my chest and a small smile tugged across my lips. Though I wasn't entirely sure where it was headed, the idea of having all eternity with Edward had managed to bring to a smile to my face.

I repeated that thought in my head as I stepped out of the shower and dried off, slipping into the fresh clothes that Alice had left on the counter of the sink. The denim jeans, which were, without a doubt, designer, fit rather snuggly, though they weren't uncomfortable. The light blue tee shirt that rested on the counter, however, posed a problem. Not only was the thin, breathable fabric almost completely see-through, but it was practically glued to my skin. I plucked at the fabric, worrying that it was too tight and bulges of…well, to be honest with you, fat would become very apparent. But once I glanced down at my torso and saw a smooth, flat surface, my eyebrows disappeared into my hair. It wasn't that I had ever been fat, but whenever a shirt was as tight as this one, they were hardly flattering unless you were a…ah, well, that explained it.

Taking one last deep breath, I opened the door to the bathroom and stepped out into the chilly hallway. I was about to open my mouth to see if anyone was around whenever Alice materialized n front of me. It took everything I had in me not to jump out of my skin, so I settled on widening my eyes in surprise instead.

She smiled at me. "You look much better now. Much, _much _cleaner."

"Remind me to thank Edward for telling me how horrific I looked." I said, not entirely sure I was joking or not.

She laughed and took a hold of my hand. It was weird how much bigger my hand was compared to hers -- and I had small hands.

"Where are we going?" I asked as she continued to tug me down the hallway.

"My room." She answered.

"Why?"

"You'll see."

Something in my gut told me that I should be happy that she hadn't turned around to address me, that I should be happy that I pointedly ignored the mischievous tone in her light-as-bells voice. We reached the door to the room that I knew to be Alice's and my stomach dropped.

"Please don't tell me we're doing what I think we're doing." I said, unable to mask the pathetic note in my voice.

She ignored me, opening the door and ushering me inside. I had been in Alice's bedroom dozens of times, especially whenever I became something of a permanent fixture in the Cullen household last summer. Of course, I was always helping her pick out of what outfits she should wear, but as I surveyed the room, taking in the various articles of clothing that laid strewn across the bed, I blanched.

"Oh no," I muttered, my worst fear coming true. I started to back up, but slammed into something hard. I whipped around and found myself staring into the beautiful, golden eyes of Rosalie Cullen. I could barely muffle my gasp of surprise.

"Do lighten up, Bella," Rosalie said, her voice light and…was that a hint of mirth laced in her sweet voice? "You look like you've just been sentenced to the gallows." The gorgeous blonde vampire smiled at me, but it wasn't the same sort of smile I had seen from her before. Instead of leering at me like she normally did, this smile was genuine, almost…sisterly. It was odd, but pleasant nonetheless.

All these sudden changes were going to take a very long time to get used to. I guess it's good I had all eternity to adjust then, isn't it?

I was startled to find myself chuckling at her comment, which only made her smile wider. If I thought she was gorgeous whenever she was angry, she was positively glorious whenever she smiled. How Edward didn't fall madly in love with her was beyond me.

Rosalie placed her hands on my shoulders and guided me toward the bed, where she sat me down and took several steps backward, stopping whenever she stood next to Alice.

I sat there in complete silence, squirming uncomfortably under their scrutiny. Every few seconds, one of them would step forward to get a closer look before resuming their position a few feet ahead of me. I froze in place wherever Alice picked up a lock of my hair and twisted it between her fingers. She whispered something to Rosalie, but Aphrodite herself shook her head.

"Alice," I said, my voice weak. I cleared my throat abruptly, which startled the both of them and caused them to look at me. "You said no makeovers."

She set her lips tightly and glanced from my face to Rosalie then back again. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as her shoulders sagged in defeat. "Fine, but we get to dress you."

I rolled my eyes, but nodded anyway. Alice gave a small squeal of delight, making me wince at the high pitch before she darted into the closet. Rosalie shot me an odd look, one of sympathy as well as amusement before disappearing in the walk-in closet with Alice.

I stole a glance toward the door.

"Don't even think about leaving." Alice said sharply, sticking her head around the corner and sending me a pointed look.

I pouted and folded my arms over my chest as she slinked back into the closet. "So," I began, twirling a stray thread from the quilt around my finger. "What's the special occasion? Or do I get to play the part of your own personal Barbie Doll for no reason at all?"

After a few moments of silence, I wondered if they heard me at all. I pushed myself off the bed and started toward the mouth of the closet whenever Alice came stumbling into the room, her arms laden with a mountainous pile of clothes. My eyes widened as I saw Rosalie over her shoulder, a large amount of clothes in her arms as well.

"Ar-are those all for me?" I asked, gulping as I sat back down on the edge of the bed.

"Yes, they are." Alice replied, nodding her head.

"Do I have to try them all on?"

"No," Rosalie said quickly before her sister could get a word out. "Not at the moment."

I picked up a few tee shirts and looked at the labels. My eyes widened. Why on Earth would I need the same Juicy Couture tee shirt in six different colors?

"When'd you guys get all these clothes?" I questioned curiously as I started to look through the various stacks of clothes. I looked up in time to see Rosalie and Alice exchanging a look, although I'm not sure why they would need to.

"Alice and I went shopping while you were…changing." She answered, speaking the last word hesitantly.

I was silent for a few minutes, not entirely sure what to say.

"You're not mad, are you?" Alice asked finally.

I looked up at her sharply. "Why would I be mad at you?"

"Because we went shopping while you were changing." Alice supplied.

"Why should that make me mad? I should be thanking you, not scorning you." I said. "Although, I can't help but wonder how you got passed Edward, let alone knew my size."

Rosalie smiled as she sat down next to me on the bed. "You'd be surprised how quickly Edward leaves one's mind alone whenever the word shopping pops up." I smiled and laughed softly at her. She grinned back warmly and added, "And we went by the clothes you were wearing when Edward brought you back to the house."

"It also helps that we're expert shoppers." Alice tacked on as she settled down on the other side of me, smiling.

We shared a laugh and I sighed in content. Even though I knew I was a vampire, I couldn't help feeling incredibly human at that moment, like I was sharing a moment with two of my best friends. Or, better yet, my sisters.

X - X - X

It actually hadn't been as bad as I thought it was going to be. Although it was a pain modeling pair after pair after same freaking pair of jeans, it was fun. The carefree and lighthearted atmosphere lightened my mood considerably, seeing as how the jokes and laughter came easily between the three of us, like we had known each other for years. It was still so odd, laughing so freely with Rosalie when, for the past year and half, she had been nothing short of an ice queen to me. Of course, after I had put my mortality up for a vote, she had been somewhat nicer to me, but that didn't mean she spoke to me unless forced. So it's suffice to say that I was struck dumb by how freely the conversation flowed between us, like a dam had broken and all the pent up water was rushing out.

As happy as I was about it, I was still guarded. I didn't want to get my hopes up only to have Rosalie close herself off again. For all I knew, it could be a sham, just to get Edward off her back for being so cruel to me whenever I was mortal. But I could hope that it was genuine. Though something in my gut told me that I didn't have to worry about that.

Once they decided on an outfit that they deemed appropriate, Alice all but got down on her hands and knees, asking me if she could do something with my hair. I couldn't help but laugh at the shocked expression that danced across her face as I nodded yes. She squealed again and leapt up off the bed, jerking me up with her, and pulled me into her bathroom. She played with my hair for a nearly a half hour before a soft knock at the door interrupted Rosalie.

"Come in, Edward." Alice said, sighing in exasperation. I could hear his light breathing as he walked into the room, I could smell his mouthwatering scent and it took every fiber of my being not to leap up from the vanity chair and wrap my arms around him, burying my face in his chest and taking in his glorious scent.

He threw one look at the clothes strewn across the bed and shook his head. He didn't say anything as his eyes continued to sweep the room, or rather, Rosalie and Alice's minds. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat before his ocher eyes fell on me. They widened in surprise and I couldn't help but smirk. Alice let her hands slip from my shoulders, allowing me to stand. I walked toward him, still smirking.

"Like what you see?" I asked as I did a little turn.

"I loved what I saw before," Edward began, swallowing subtly. "Though I can't help but admire my sisters' clever handiwork."

"So it passes your approval?" I inquired, an eyebrow cocked in amusement.

He grinned widely, dazzling me as he leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine.

Behind us, Rosalie sighed in mock irritation. I slid my arms around his waist and leaned into his chest as we turned to look at her. She rolled her eyes for show and folded her arms over her chest.

"And you're always telling Emmett and I to get a room."

Edward chuckled and kissed the top of my head. "Yes, but you can't read minds, now can you?"

_Touché_, I thought as he moved to uncoil my arms from around his waist. He stopped mid-movement and shot me a curious look. Something unexplainable glinted in his eyes as he cocked his head to the side.

"What?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"It's nothing," He said, shaking himself out of his stupor as he led me toward the door. I took one last look at Rosalie and Alice, smiling in appreciation before he pulled me out into the hall and to Carlisle's office.


	10. Chapter 9

A/N: I don't think I need to tell you all how much I appreciate your reviews! Though there wasn't as many as there normally are for the last chapter, I'm certainly not complaining! As always, keep them coming! Ask any questions you feel the need to ask and, as I said before, I'll try to answer you to the best of my ability without giving anything away. So, without further ado, here's the chapter! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: Really now, must you remind me that I don't own Twilight and make me sink further into depression? **

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Chapter Nine

"Ready?" Edward asked softly as we arrived at the door that led to Carlisle's office.

I bit the inside of my cheek in apprehension, contemplating whether or not I should tell him that I was scared out of my wits at what Carlisle had to say to us. I could hardly tell him that I doubted I would ever be ready for a simple sit down with his surrogate father, even if something in my gut was telling me that this was more than a chat about the future.

My lack of response seemed to spur him into action.

He brought his hand up to my face, gently brushing the back of his knuckles along the length of my cheekbone. I leaned into his touch and he dipped his head, positioning his mouth alongside my ear. As he spoke in a whisper so low that I could barely hear him, his lips quivered against my earlobe, making me shiver with delight and temporarily forget that we were standing in the middle of the hallway.

"There's nothing to be worried about. I'll be right there beside you." He muttered, turning ever-so-slightly to press his lips against the hollow beneath my ear.

Giving my hand a tight and reassuring squeeze, he pulled back. I met his eyes to see them burning with such ferocity, my breath hitched in my throat.

I tried to steady my breath as Edward raised his fist to knock lightly on the doorframe. I closed my eyes tightly as Carlisle's calm and soothing voice drifted through the thick wooden door, even though it sounded like he was standing right beside me.

Edward glanced down at me, that undecipherable glimmer still dancing in his eyes. Before he could get a word out, I nodded my head. He smiled tightly, twisting the golden knob and pushing the door open. He hesitated before entering the office, looking over his shoulder at me. I stiffened, weighing my chances of running down the hall, down the steps, and out the door before Edward could catch me. He had always said that young vampires were unnaturally strong and I wasn't even a day old.

_Just go and get it over with. After all, Edward said there isn't anything to worry about. _

I locked eyes with him yet again and he pulled me into the office, closing the door behind us. The sharp click of the lock sliding into place nearly made me jump out of my skin. Besides me, Edward gave a short, forced chuckle. Leave it to my Edward to try and ease the tension when, really, he only succeeded in making it worse.

It was Carlisle who spoke first. "Why don't you two take a seat?"

He gestured toward the inviting leather couch that I had never noticed before. I sat down on the edge of the cushion, Edward taking the seat beside me, our knees barely brushing. But the brief contact was enough; a surge of electricity darted through my being and it took everything I had in me not to grab his face between my hands and kiss him senseless. I rolled my eyes at myself: only I could succeed in drawing pleasure from the intense tension.

Carlisle gathered the papers that littered his desk into a messy pile before shuffling them. He sent me a warm smile as he slid them into a manila envelope, an unreadable expression dancing across his face. I noticed that his eyes were not on me, but rather Edward. It was then that I knew what was happening: they were debating what should be discussed thus far, although whatever it was, they didn't want me to know just yet. I bit back my growl of annoyance, displeased that they were having a private conversation, even though I knew it revolved around me.

I watched, clenching my free hand into a tiny fists, watching for them to stop "talking" and speak to me, my teeth sinking further into the inside flesh of my cheek with every shake or bob of Edward's head.

When I had finally had enough of not being included in the discussion that I was called into this very office for, I cleared my throat noisily, successfully breaking them out of their trance.

Carlisle offered an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that, Bella. Old habits die hard."

I returned the smile and unclenched my fist, flexing my fingers to get the sensation back. I glanced at Edward out of the corner of my eye. His mouth was set into a firm, grim line and he was staring at a book over Carlisle's shoulder. Apparently, whatever they had been discussing hadn't pleased him. Not at all.

I swallowed nervously, knowing that if I were human, my heart would be thrumming wildly in my chest.

"I suppose you're wondering why I asked you and Edward to join me in my office?"

I nodded, shifting around on the couch, surprised whenever the leather didn't give a groan of protest.

Carlisle's golden gaze flicker to Edward for the briefest second, but it was long enough for me to catch. Edward gave a bob of his bronze head before becoming a glorious marble statue, pointedly avoiding the squeeze I gave his hand.

"And I'm assuming that you figured out on your own that there are rather important matters that need to be discuss, yes?" Carlisle continued.

I nodded once more, several strands of hair falling into my face. I reached to tuck them behind my ear, but Edward had already done it for me. I sent him a short, appreciative smile before returning my attention to Carlisle.

Carlisle opened his mouth to speak, but Edward cut him off. "Don't you think we should discuss something else before diving head first into _that_ topic?"

I gritted my teeth. Something in the pit of my stomach told me that, whatever it was that Edward was talking about, it would be painfully obvious once it was brought up. But I couldn't figure it out, not for the life of me.

"I suppose we should." Carlisle said, sitting up in his chair a bit straighter. Edward grabbed my hand once again, threading his fingers through mine, resting our joined hands on his thigh. "But first, do you have any questions? Any requests?"

They turned their eyes to me, waiting patiently for me to conjure up an answer. I locked eyes with Edward and asked the first question that came to mind.

"What happened? I mean, I know there was an accident and all…but I can't remember anything after that."

Carlisle and Edward shared another look and I couldn't hold back my sigh of frustration. "And not to be rude or anything, but could you please stop doing that?"

They looked at me with curiosity, probably wondering what the hell I was talking about. Before either one of them could ask, I sent Edward a pointed look and realization flickered in his ocher orbs.

"She wants us to stop conversing through thought." He said, barely masking the displeasure in his voice.

"It's hardly fair!" I protested. "My presence was requested and a discussion was planned, but how I am supposed to partake in said discussion whenever I don't know what's being discussed?!"

Edward's locked his jaw with a low _snap_, his eyes blazing. He opened his mouth to speak, but Carlisle beat him to it.

"She's right, Edward." I threw him a grateful look and frowned whenever I saw the corners of his mouth sag slightly. Maybe I had asked too much and they were only doing it to protect me? "As much as I don't like it, she's right."

A huff of annoyance escaped my beloved's lips and he leaned back into the couch. Although he was angry at me, he didn't take his hand from mine. If anything, his grip tightened, as though he was readying me for something I didn't want to hear. My stomach churned; maybe I shouldn't have been so forward and kept my mouth shut.

After a few moments of intense silence, I cleared my throat again and asked, "So…what happened?"

I saw Carlisle's gaze drift to Edward's handsome face, but quickly returned to mine, like he had just remembered he wasn't supposed to ask his son whether or not he should answer my questions.

"You hit a deer." Edward said, his voice devoid of emotion. "The carcass wasn't there, but we knew that's what struck the vehicle, as its blood was splattered across the pavement. The police cruiser had skid about thirty or so feet before it struck the deer."

I stared into his angelic face, suddenly wishing that I hadn't asked. The pained expression that danced across his face, tainting his seraphic features looked out of place. And I had put it there. My dead heart clenched painfully in my chest and I gave his hand the hardest squeeze I could muster.

Much to my surprise, he winced and it seemed to snap him out of his trance. He gave the tiniest shake of his head, as though he trying to clear his thoughts before continuing. "A little over fifty yards away from the deer's blood was the cruiser. It was flipped over and-."

He stopped and took a deep breath. I looked into his eyes and saw that they had darkened. They were nearly black now and tears threatened to spill over the ledge of his eyelids, although I knew it was impossible. Vampires couldn't cry, but although crying was often an outlet, this was quite possibly the only time I was glad that we couldn't.

The sight of Edward crying would've crushed me. The mere thought sent an unpleasant shiver rolling up my spine.

"Edward, you don't have to…" I whispered.

"No," He said, shaking his head against and taking another breath. "The cruiser had flipped over and the passenger side -- your side -- was smashed against the asphalt. I was so scared that you were…dead, that I wanted to rush over to the car, right it, and pull you out of the wreckage, but Carlisle held me back because you could've been injured…"

I didn't have to ask if I had been or not. The answer was rather obvious.

"But once Carlisle asked you if you were all right, once he made sure that you weren't already…gone, we righted the car and I went over to your side to pull you out of the car."

As he spoke, a white-hot flash clouded my vision, making me dizzy. I suddenly saw the whole scene played out before me.

"_We're going to get you out, all right, Bella?" Carlisle's voice called out, the soothing tone washing over me. _

"_Okay." I croaked, my voice sounding like I had smoked a whole pack of cigarettes and chased it down with a gallon of whiskey. _

"_But before we can do that, you have to tell me what hurts. So we won't cause any further injury when we pull you out. Can you do that?" _

"_Yeah." I gasped, my stomach burning as my legs slowly started to tingle, to turn cold. _

"_Tell me what hurts? Can you not feel anything? Do you think that anything's broken?" Carlisle drilled. _

_The words were right on the tip of my tongue, but the sudden pressure that suddenly rested on my chest made it impossible. Every moment, including that of my mouth, hurt like hell. The flame in my stomach continued to grow in size as my legs became increasingly numb. I gulped down as much air as possible before I spoke, "Everything." _

"_What hurts the most?" Alice asked. I jumped in surprised, startled at the sound of her voice, although I welcomed it. _

_I tried to determine what hurt the worst whenever I was struck with the sudden realization: I couldn't feel my legs. Panic rose in my throat and my voice, already hoarse, rose a few octaves higher. "I-I-I can't feel my legs!" I cried. "Edward, I can't feel my legs!" _

"_It'll be all right, Bella, I promise." Edward's musical voice made my head spin. "Just stay calm." _

"_Is there anything else?" Carlisle questioned._

_The sudden urge to cough itched in the back of my throat and I tried to push it down, but found that I couldn't. When I finally won the battle against the itch, I muttered, "My stomach hurts." I gulped down as much oxygen as I could, but my lungs burned in protest and I trailed off into a hacking cough. _

_Something tangy filled my mouth and, almost immediately, I knew it was blood. _

The rest of the scene played out before me as though I had a front row seat to the opening night of the tragic play.

A shudder passed through me before I locked gazes with Edward, completely forgetting that Carlisle was in the room with us. "T-t-there was a shard of glass in my stomach. It must've lodged itself in my torso whenever the crash happened. I asked you to pull it out, but Carlisle said that you had to pull me out of the car first to see what damage had been done."

I licked my lips, my eyes flickering to Carlisle, who pointedly averted his eyes from us and focused on the paintings that hung on the wall behind us.

"I-I-I remember asking you to-."

"Bella, please." Edward cut me off, his tone desperate. His eyes were watering against and iron hand on my heart tightened. His nostrils flared as he took several deep breaths. "Don't bring that up. I'm begging you." He brought my hand to his lips, kissing each of my knuckles softly. "_Please._"

I nodded my head and he kissed my hand again, giving yet another painfully tight squeeze.

"I don't know what happened after that…" I trailed off, turning my eyes to Carlisle, knowing that Edward wouldn't tell me, since it was not only painfully obvious what happened, but his emotions would overtake him. I was just starting to get him to open up to me; I couldn't let him close himself off from me.

Carlisle glanced at Edward and the latter nodded. _He's giving the go ahead._

"Once you were unconscious, I tried to think of all the ways we could pull out the glass without damaging any of your internal organs. Even if we had removed the glass, you would've bleed out before we could've gotten you to a hospital and you would've died."

My eyes darted over to Edward. His head was turned away from me, but I knew his jaw was clenched and his eyes were screwed shut. I rubbed a small circle on the back of his hand with my thumb, hoping that it would bring him some comfort.

"There was only one other option and that was for one of us to bite you." Carlisle said, Edward flinching at the last string of words. He opened his mouth to speak, but Edward made an odd noise that cut him off. The expression on Carlisle's face changed and he took a small breath. "And I suppose you can determine the rest."

I wanted to press the matter, but knew that I shouldn't. Instead, I smiled softly at him. "Thank you."

"For what?" Edward and Carlisle asked at the same time.

"For saving my life." I stated simply.

Edward turned toward me, his mouth open and protest ready, but I silenced him with a look. His jaw snapped shut and he became the stone statue I had fallen so helplessly in love with.

The silence hung heavy in the air, no one daring to open their mouths. Carlisle seemed the least hesitant of us all, so I wasn't surprised whenever he was the one who broke it.

"Is there anything else you'd like to know before we move onto something else?" He asked, a kind smile on his handsome face.

It didn't take long for one to pop up in my mind, but before I could think about the answer I would receive, it flew out of my mouth. "How's Charlie? Is he all right?"

Edward stiffened beside me.

Carlisle froze.

My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach and I blanched. "No," I breathed, shaking my head as tears blurred my vision.

I rose from the couch, dropping Edward's hand as though he was a leper and had just spread his disease to me. I forgot how to breath as I slowly backed toward the door.

"No," I muttered again, still shaking my head.

Edward stood, taking a few slow steps toward me, "Bella…"

"NO! Don't touch me!"

The look of hurt that flashed across his face only made my heart sink further into the acidy pit of my stomach.

Before I knew what I was doing, I wretched the door open and dashed down the hallway. I slammed into Jasper's stone chest, the clash deafening to my new, heightened sense of hearing. His eyes met mine and I knew that he sensed the emotion peril that coursed through my body.

"Bella?" He questioned, a brow arched in concern.

I pushed past him and flew down the stairs, nearly tripping over my own feet in my hurry.


	11. Chapter 10

A/N: I just realized that I haven't updated in the longest time! I feel so terrible for making you guys wait so long, but it's just that I've been incredibly busy with studying for final exams and well, I've been running around and doing a lot of crap I probably shouldn't, but that's for another discussion. Anyway, moving on, I'd like to thank you all for reviewing last chapter; the response was FANTASTIC! I'm glad you're all enjoying it so far and I hope that this long awaited chapter meets your expectations. So, without further ado, here is chapter ten!

Okay, so actually, there is further ado, as I must explain that there will be several POV changes in this chapter…okay, there's really only two, which are Edward and Bella, but no need to worry about whose POV it is when the switch is made, for I shall inform you in a nice fancy little note!

**Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own it. **

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Chapter Ten

- **Edward's POV** -

The front door shook in its hinges as Bella slammed it shut, rushing down the front porch steps and out of hearing range. I changed a glance at Carlisle and saw that his expression was nothing short of shock. I could tell that he was blocking his thoughts to the best of his ability, but even then, I knew that he was stunned. Perhaps that explained his silence.

_Wow, she really didn't handle that very well, did she? _

_That didn't sound very good. _

_Oh, poor Edward, he was only trying to help… _

I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, bringing my balled fists to the sides of my face and willing their voices to shut up. For the millionth time in my abnormally long life, I wished that I wasn't able to read the minds of my family members. Or they'd at least show some courtesy and try to keep their thoughts blocked off from me.

It wasn't very hard to pinpoint who had thought what. Naturally, Emmett stated the obvious, as he did on a daily basis, as though we all really needed to know exactly what was going on; while Rosalie had also stated the obvious, she generalized, which I silently thanked her for; and dearest Esme, bless her heart. Alice, Carlisle, and Jasper had kept their thoughts to themselves.

The house was stunned into silence. Aside from the raging thoughts of three of my family members, I could hear nothing else. I tried to focus on Bella, tried to hear her from wherever it was that she had escaped to. Maybe if I focused hard enough, I could hear what she was thinking. I could've sworn I had done it before…

I dropped my hands from the sides of my face as soon as a rushing wave of calm washed over me. I turned my eyes to the doorway and saw not only Jasper, but also Alice, who wore a look of severe concern, standing underneath the dark wooden arch.

"Thanks," I muttered to Jasper, who nodded his head in acknowledgement. My voice sounded oddly hollow, even in my own ears.

Alice stepped through the doorway and into Carlisle's office first, taking tentative steps toward me. Jasper reluctantly followed; I could tell he was on his toes, ready for any overwhelming emotions that might overtake me. I had been such an emotional little fiend over the past few days, hadn't I? My poor brother deserved some rest, some relief from constantly trying to please everyone.

_Edward…_

"Alice, please." I said, pushing her arms away as she had attempted to embrace me. Being hugged by someone was the very last thing I needed.

_Sorry for only wanting to help_.

"Yes well, I had only wanted to help as well and we can all see where that got me." I growled, my upper lip pulling back over my teeth.

"There's no need to snap at me, Edward!" Alice replied, drawing herself up on her tip-toes and staring me directly in the eye.

"If you hadn't forced me to change her, none of this would've happened!"

A look of utter belief flashed over Alice's pixie-like features and her eyes darkened considerably.

_Edward…_Carlisle warned.

"You're right! None of this would've happened at all." She parroted my words back to me, although her words were laced with sarcasm. "Bella would've been buried six feet underground had it not been for my 'forcing' you to change her! You would've been miserable, moping about more so than you do now, even when you have her in your life!"

"Alice," Esme said softly from the doorway. _Won't you stop? _She sent me a pleading look and I was forced to turn away.

"She's not angry with you, Edward, can't you see that?" Alice argued as though Esme hadn't said a single word and interrupted her rant. "She's upset that she lost her father, like anyone would be in her situation. You saved her life. You saved her from certain death."

I couldn't deny the truth in her words, but just because I couldn't deny it didn't mean I wanted to believe it. I had saved her life, but had I really saved her? Was death worse than eternally damnation?

"Anything is better than this life." I whispered under my breath.

"Oh come on, Edward!" The sound of Rosalie's voice made me whip my head toward the door. She came barging into the room and took up stance next to Alice, looking frighteningly beautiful as only Rosalie could. "While this life might not be the most desirable, you should be thankful that you have her! You love her, do you not?"

"Of course I do!"

"Then start acting like it!" Rosalie snapped. "You're supposed to be happy now that you have her, don't you see?" She heaved a heavy sigh and sat down on the couch, pulling Alice with her. Jasper leaned against the arm of the couch while Emmett came to stand behind Rosalie. Esme was by Carlisle side and had been ever since Alice had pointedly ignored her plea.

"You been unhappy for so long now, Edward." Jasper said, cutting the thick silence that had built between the six of us. My eyes flickered to him, as did everyone else's, and we stared at him in curiosity. "Don't try denying it because I have felt your unhappiness as long as you have."

I stared them, silently wondering if they had all developed mind reading powers and decided to gang up on me without me noticing. A small sigh escaped my mouth and I leaned against the bookshelf behind me, pinching the bridge of my nose. I could feel their expectant stares and turned away from them, walking toward the window.

They were right; I should be happy. I wanted to be happy, really, I did, but it was just so difficult when I had taken away the one thing that had made Bella what she was. I had taken away her humanity and, along with her mortality, I had taken her death away from her. Now she would never be able to die, unless she should aggravate the Volturi or wish death upon herself, and I was to blame for that. She would never be able to experience the joys of motherhood because I had taken that from her.

A dry sob threatened to tear through my throat, but I pushed it back and banged my balled fists against the window frame instead. Sensing my emotional distress, Jasper sent several heaping waves of calm in my direction.

_I can go talk to her, if you'd like._

I glanced over my shoulder at Jasper and nodded my head, knowing fully well that he was the only one aside from myself who could help Bella.

X - X - X

- **Bella's POV** -

I wasn't sure where I was going, but as the branches continued to snap under my footfalls, my head gradually became clearer. The unnecessary anger I had felt just moments ago was starting to lose its harsh edge and slowly fade away. My chest clenched painfully and I abruptly ceased walking.

I found myself in the middle of an unfamiliar area of woods. Though I knew I couldn't have strayed too far from the Cullen household, I knew I was far away enough for Jasper not to sense my emotions. It also helped that Edward couldn't read my thoughts and come after me.

Oh God, Edward! What had I done?!

I had yelled at him when I should've been running into his arms, seeking the comfort he desperately wanted to give me. But no, I had pushed him away, screaming at him to stay away from me, forbidding him to touch me. Geez, I was such a horrid person! He had only wanted to comfort me and I had ruined it by acting like a total brat…what had I done?

Complicated matters, that's what I did.

A growl ripped through my chest and I slammed my fist into the trunk of the nearest tree. It snapped clean in half and crashed to the ground loudly. I flinched at the sharp noise, but it had cleared my mind. While Edward was, in fact, an important subject, there was another issue at hand.

"Charlie," I muttered under my breath to myself. My stomach turned uneasily at the familiar name and, if I could've thrown up from emotional exhaustion, I would've. I could feel the tears pooling in my eyes and pushed them back, knowing fully well that they were both pointless and that I would never be able to shed them. But still, I couldn't stop the raw, rasping noise from escaping my throat as I thought of Charlie.

He was dead. All because of me.

In the time it had taken me to shove the branches out of my way and travel this deep into the forest, flashes of what had happened before the accident assaulted me. If I hadn't had distracted him by yelling at him, then he would've seen the deer and swerved around it. He would still be alive.

But would I be a vampire? Did that matter now? More importantly, did I still want to become an immortal as bad I had when I was human?

It was obviously too late to go back now, but in retrospect, would I had really chosen this life for myself?

_Of course you would have! You wanted to be with Edward forever and becoming a vampire was the only way you were ever going to achieve that. You wanted this and now that you have it, you're going to complain about it?! _

I silently cursed my conscience and pushed all thoughts out of my mind as I tried to find my bearings. As I looked around the woods, I realized that I had absolutely no idea where I was. Heaving a small sigh, I headed back the way I had come, hoping that I had left enough broken foliage in my wake to know if I was heading in the right direction or not.

Luckily, I had and within a few minutes, I began to recognize the trees as they thinned out. I slowed my quick pace to a slow meander, picking up a few of the branches that I had snapped off and tossing them back to the ground after examining the ends. I knew what I had to do, but that didn't mean I couldn't delay it. As much as I wanted to set things right with Edward, to take the comfort that he so desperately wished to give me, I wanted to be alone. I needed to clear my mind of my own confusing thoughts before leaping head first into what would most likely end up being another argument.

Were things always going to be like this? I sighed again. Hoping -- no, praying -- that this was just a rut. That once we talked things over everything would go back to normal. I squeezed my eyes shut tightly and wished that I could cry. It would be the release that I needed.

I could see the front lawn from the trees now. There was nothing but the shadows from the great tree tops covering me now. I took another deep breath and walked toward the house, although I never made it to the front porch like I had planned on. Instead, one of the giant oak trees in the front yard caught my attention. In the fading sunlight, it looked incredibly inviting and very much a place where I could sit down and clear my mind. I glanced toward the house and then back at the tree. I walked toward the tree and took a seat beneath it on the rough and gnarled roots. It was a safe distance from the house, but I knew that Edward, as well as everyone else, could sense my presence. Or at least I hoped they could.

With a small heave of my shoulders, I leaned against the thick trunk of the tree and stared out at the setting sun. I had acted incredibly childish, screaming at Edward and running out of the house like I did. Just when I needed to face the inevitable discussion that needed to be had, I fled the scene in my own fear. I didn't want to come to terms with Charlie's death. I didn't want to accept the fact that I'd never get to see my mother again because everyone believed me to be dead. While it was true to a certain extent, I didn't want to become a ghost to the world.

Even in my own head, I was well aware of how selfish I sounded, but I couldn't help it. I had known all along that I would have to give up all the things that connect me to the human world, but I had originally thought that I would get a chance to say goodbye. Edward had promised me that, and I knew that he would've followed through had the accident not happened. But the car wreck had happened. There was nothing any of us could've done to stop it from occurring and I knew that. I was incredibly thankful that Edward had been able to save my life and gave me the one thing I had asked of him. I just wish I would've had time to say goodbye. I just wish I would've had the chance to look into my mother's smiling face one last time and clutch her to my being. I just wish I could've seen Charlie one last time…

"Bella?"

I jumped at the sound of my name and tilted my chin upward to see Jasper standing a few feet away from the tree. His hands were shoved in his pockets and he shifted his weight from foot to foot uneasily, almost as though he was nervous. He kept his head bent, looking at me through his sweeping blonde bangs.

"Did Edward send you?" I asked, wincing inwardly at the icy edge that coated my voice.

"No," he replied, keeping his tone even as he took a few steps toward the oak. "He didn't. I came out here to see if you were all right." He pushed his hair away from his face and added, "Are you?"

I turned my head away and settled my gaze on the tree line. "I'm fine."

"It's probably not the wisest of choices to lie to an empathic."

I laughed despite myself and could practically hear him smiling. He sank down beside me, putting several tree roots of distance between us. He followed my line of sight and stared out at the forest with me. We sat in silence for several moments, neither of us knowing what to say, but not really feeling the need to fill the silence. My thoughts returned to Charlie once more and a horrible sadness swept over me. While I was incredibly upset at the loss of my father, a man whom I had only just begun to grow close to, there was another emotion that lingered in my chest that hurt even worse. I couldn't pin point what the feeling was, but it was ten times stronger than grief.

"You shouldn't feel guilty, you know."

I glanced at Jasper out of the corner of my eye. "What do you mean?"

He shifted his body so that he was facing me, his back toward the house. "You feel guilty for acting the way you did and you shouldn't. You reacted to the news the way any other person would have."

"And that gives me the right to scream at the one I love when he had done nothing wrong?" I challenged. "That gives me the right to push him away when all he wanted to do was offer the only he could, which was his love?" I finally turned my head to look at him and saw that his dark gold eyes were very serious as though he was trying to understand my way of thinking. I sighed and picked a blade of grass, tearing it into small shreds. "I hurt him, Jasper. And I've complicated the matter by acting like a child."

"You're not the only one who's made things worse, Bella." Jasper said. "You're both guilty of complicating the situation and it's all because you both shoulder the blame."

"What do you mean we both shoulder the blame? Edward has nothing to feel guilty for."

"That's where you're wrong." He lowered his eyes and tilted his head toward the woods. It was eerily similar to the actions a five year old would do when they were discovered with their hand in the cookie jar, and I was almost positive that Jasper knew something that the rest of us didn't.

Then I realized he was giving me time to come up with the answer myself. Almost immediately the wheels in my mind started working and it didn't take very long to come up with an answer. "He blames himself for the way I acted. He thinks that…that…"

"That you regret him biting you and changing you?" He nodded his head and sighed.

"But I don't regret it! Hell, I thanked him for saving my life before I figured out what happened to Charlie!" I shouted.

"We all know that, Bella." Jasper said, throwing a glance over his shoulder at the house. "But Edward doesn't. When you stormed out of Carlisle's office and ran into the woods, he thought that in a matter of seconds, you regretted him changing you and…hated him."

"Hated him?" I had to laugh. "Is he mad? I could never hate him. I love him with all my heart. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be sitting here. I'd probably be six feet underground by now."

Jasper smiled despite himself and sighed. "But you know how Edward is. He can be somewhat…emotional?"

I chuckled again and sighed. "What should I do, Jasper?"

"The only thing you can do; talk to him."

I sat up straight and looked him in the eye. "But what if he doesn't listen to me? What if-."

"Then make him listen, Bella." Jasper answered, an odd tone of fierceness in his smooth voice. "He's been unhappy since the day I met him, but as soon as you walked -- or stumbled, rather -- into his life, he'd been a completely different person. But now that he's blaming himself for taking away everything that's made you so very special to him, he's getting dangerously close to that perpetual wave of sadness again."

"But he shouldn't be unhappy!" I exclaimed.

"Which is why you have to talk to him." Jasper replied quickly. "If you talk to him, if you make him see that you're really, truly content with the new life you lead and that you're only grieving for Charlie, then you can save him, Bella."

"But what if he still doesn't listen to me?" I asked, my voice shaking with fear.

"He'll listen to you. You're the only one who's ever been able to make him see things clearly."


	12. Chapter 11

A/N: What can I say? You guys never let me down. Once again, thanks for all your encouraging reviews! This chapter was a bit difficult for me to churn out because, well, there was just something off about it that I couldn't put my finger on, but I finally got it finished, so yay! Anywho, here's the chapter; I hope you like it!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight…yet. ;) **

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Chapter Eleven

I felt like a fool, and a very childish one at that, as I approached the house. I stopped in front of the porch steps, preparing myself for what lay behind the door. The short set of stairs looked quite intimidating from where I was standing. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I glanced over my shoulder to see that Jasper was but a few feet behind me. He sent me an encouraging smile before walking past me, up the stairs, and into the house. The screen door slapped the frame, but I didn't hear the front door close.

It was now or never.

While I preferred to save it for later, I knew that nothing good could come from it if the situation was left to simmer. It would only bubble and, eventually, the bubbles would become uncontrollable. I closed my eyes, mentally preparing myself for what was to come. I could do this; I had to do this. I was, essentially if not unintentionally, responsible for the situation at hand and, if I didn't do anything about it, I would have six very angry vampires to answer to.

I placed my foot on the bottom step and winced when it creaked noisily under the pressure of my foot. The sound sent a chill down my spine, but I shook it off. Squaring my shoulders, I quickly walked up the front porch steps and pulled the screen door open, figuring that if I went through the motions quickly, I'd get it over with sooner and the argument between Edward and I would be that much closer to being resolved.

The living room was oddly empty when I crossed through the doorway. The clock on the mantel ticked ominously and reminded me of what I had to do. It wasn't the fact that I didn't wish to better the situation, quite the contrary, actually. I just didn't want to fail. Lord only knew what would happen if I didn't convince Edward that I regretted being changed.

Stupid, guilt ridden vampire.

I looked around the living room, closing the front door behind me softly. I listened intently, trying to figure out if anyone was on the first floor with me or if they were all upstairs. Deciding that there wasn't anyone in the living room, I rounded the corner and checked the dining room. Empty. The kitchen was spotless as usual.

If I had thought the porch steps were intimidating, they were nothing compared to the massive staircase that led upstairs. I took several deep, steadying breaths before realizing that I didn't have a heart to steady any longer. Even if Edward hadn't of changed me, I would still be without a heartbeat. Pushing that thought to the back of my mind, I started up the stairs, hoping that my newfound determination to get to Edward and resolve this silly little…whatever it was as soon as possible.

Once I reached the top of the stairs and planted my feet on the wooden floors of the hallway, my stomach dropped into the pit of my stomach as thoughts of my failure raced through my mind. Did I really want to be the one responsible for Edward's infinite unhappiness because I acted like a small child when all he wanted to do was take me in his arms and tell me that everything was going to be all right? I was the one who had acted stupid; I was the one who should be feeling guilty, not him. I walked down the hallway, passing Rosalie and Emmett's bedroom as my footsteps quickened. By the time I reached the end of the hallway, I was all but running. Without hesitation, I flew up the second flight of stairs towards Edward's bedroom. In my haste, I nearly tripped over my own feet, but caught myself on the railing. Mumbling curses under my breath, I continued up the stairs, nearly tripping again when I reached the top of the flight.

"Edward," I called out as I ran to his bedroom door, my chest heaving from my labored breathing. I knocked on the door and desperately tried to steady my breaths, but I had no clue why my breathing was so out of whack. Perhaps it was because I was anxious to get this whole mess out of the way and take responsibility for my actions?

When he didn't answer the door right away, I feared the worst.

"Edward?" I wrapped my knuckles against the white wood impatiently, shifting my weight from foot to foot. Did he not want to talk to me? Was he listening to Death Cab on his Ipod again, like he always did when he was upset and just not hear me; or did he really want to be alone right now?

Before long, I was banging on his door with my fist, unintentionally denting the wood with my newfound and immeasurable strength as I repeated Edward's name in a mantra like chant.

"Bella, what are you doing?"

I had been pounding so loudly that I didn't hear the footsteps coming down the hall. I had wanted so badly for him to answer the door that I didn't bother to turn around when I felt a hand on my shoulder; I didn't flinch like I normally would have.

"Edward's not answering his door." I replied automatically, calling out his name once more as I paused in my knocking, only to switch fist.

"But Bella, he's not-."

"He **is** going to answer." I interrupted, startled by my own rudeness. I continued to beat my balled fist against the door until I heard a crack. My breaths started to come in short pants. I squeezed my eyes shut as I backed away from the door like it had caught fire, like the crack had shot off a spark that ignited the flame.

I turned around to see Rosalie, in all her blonde glory, standing behind me, an oddly sympathetic look plastered on her beautiful features. "He's not here, is he?" I said, my voice breaking.

Rosalie shook her head, smiling tightly. "No, he's not." The tone of her voice seemed to match the expression on her face.

"Do you know where he went?"

Again, she shook her head.

"Does anyone know where he went?" I questioned pathetically. You know what they say; third time's a charm. I sighed heavily and leaned against his bedroom door, sliding down to the floor. "This is all my fault."

"It's not all your fault, Bella." Rosalie said gently. "It's partially Edward's fault, too."

"Stop patronizing me, Rosalie." I scoffed, folding my arms over my chest as I stared moodily at my floorboards. "It's all my fault, and you and I both know it."

An odd and heavy silence hung in the air as my waspish words resonated in my ears. I winced inwardly, immediately regretting taking my anger out of Rosalie. She was just trying to be nice and I had lashed out at her. What the hell was wrong with me? Why couldn't I keep my emotions under control? If I had some sort of self control, I wouldn't hurt the people who meant so much to me and I wouldn't get myself in such deep messes. I shook my head and let it loll back against the door with a dull thump.

"You know, Emmett and I-."

The sound of Rosalie's voice startled me. I had expected her to turn around when I had been snippy with her and go back to her room where someone who actually could tolerated her was currently playing Golden Eye on Nintendo 64. She must've caught the surprised expression on my face because her lips spread into a slow, but uncertain smile. "What? Why do you look so shocked?"

I stared up into her perfect face for several more second before blinking my initial shock away and shaking my head to myself. "I was…well, for lack of a better word, a bitch to you just a few seconds ago…"

"And?"

"You're still talking to me." I added, carefully and slowly enunciating each word.

"What's so strange about that, Bella?" Rosalie asked, a genuine look of befuddlement sliding into place as she knelt down in front of me. I opened my mouth to say something, but she put her hand up to silence me. Or at least, I thought she held her hand out to get me to shut up. "Go ahead, take my hand; I promise I don't have cooties." Her lips slipped into an easy smile and I reluctantly reached for her hand. She stood up and hauled me to my feet, still grinning. I smiled back uncertainly as she tugged me down the hallway toward the staircase.

"Where are we going?" I asked once we reached the second floor.

"The garage." She answered, throwing me a look over her shoulder and smiling brilliantly. Stupid, gorgeous vampire. It wasn't fair that some girls got all the looks.

I shook my head to myself as she lead me through the kitchen and out the back door. I fought back a gasp of surprise when I saw that it was dark outside. So dark that I nearly tripped over a stray branch in the backyard. Ahead of me, Rosalie mumbled something under her breath and chuckled to herself. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what she was chortling at. Despite the fact she was laughing at me, I couldn't help but smile. While most people became graceful when they transformed, I was still clumsy.

It didn't take very long for us to reach the garage. Though I had spent the majority of my summer over at the Cullens and quite a few nights out of the school year in their home, I hadn't ventured out to the garage that much. Of course, the sole reason was because it was Rosalie's space and the one place where she could escape me. I felt a twinge of guilt that I had driven her out to the garage as she unlocked and pushed the side door open; the guilt quickly vanished once I saw the inside of the garage. Well, Rosalie's portion of it anyway. A good deal away from where her gleaming BMW convertible was parked, there was a small sitting area with three leather armchairs and a deep purple velvet couch. A flat screen television was plastered on the wall and a high tech computer sat in the corner on a glass desk. Two of walls were covered with what could only be described as _Car and Driver _paraphernalia while the back wall was dedicated solely to rather complicated looking tools.

I let out a low whistle. "Where's the mini fridge?" I joked.

Rosalie laughed as she punched in a code on the keypad and the metal plating that covered the garage door lifted. Much to my surprise, there was a thick layer of glass that prevented the outside world from coming in. I turned around and smiled at Rosalie.

"So why did we come out here?" I asked as she lowered herself gracefully into one of the comfy looking armchairs and motioned for me to follow suit. I took a seat on the velvet couch, surprised that it was more comfortable that it appeared to be.

She shrugged her perfectly round shoulders and several blonde locks fell elegantly into her face. "I just thought that you'd might like some privacy and," She paused and smiled timidly. "I thought that, maybe, you'd like someone to talk to."

If I was capable of crying, I probably would've burst into tears. I sent her a watery smile and muttered, "Thank you, Rose. You have no idea how much that means to me."

"I know what it's like to need someone to talk to when you get in a fight with your loved one."

"You mean to tell me that you and Emmett have had an honest to God fight before?" I asked incredulously, my eyes wide.

Instead of smiling, the corners of her lips twitched into a small frown. "All couples fight, Bella." She said softly, clearly remembering a fight with Emmett -- or I assumed that she had only ever had a lover's spat with Emmett. For all I knew, there could've been someone else in her mortal life.

I opened my mouth to apologize, but the sudden sound of Rosalie's voice made me swallow my apology.

"It was a stupid fight, really," She started, chuckling mirthlessly as she leaned back in her chair and a glassy, faraway glaze clouded her ocher eyes. "But one of the worst arguments I had ever had…with anyone." Her gaze found mine and she tacked on, "Even Edward."

I chuckled to myself and asked, "What was the fight about?"

"Emmett and Jasper had made plans to go away on a hunting trip; you know, for some male bonding time and they told us that they would be gone for a few days. I had my suspicions, but Alice convinced me that nothing bad was going to happen. It wasn't like I was going to question my sister -- especially one who could peer into the future. You know what I mean?" She paused and glanced at me. I nodded my head, showing that I both understood and wanted her to continue.

She cleared her throat before continuing. "Anyway, the boys left on a Thursday afternoon and we didn't expect to hear from them until Monday morning when they said they'd be home. Which was why it was strange when Jasper called the house in sheer panic. No one saw it coming either, not even Alice…" She trailed off.

I chewed my lip, trying to fight back my intense curiosity, but I found that I couldn't. Then again, self control wasn't one of my greatest attributes as of late, now was it? "Saw what coming?"

"Impatient hu-." Rosalie cut herself off and looked down at her feet in embarrassment; she had forgotten that I wasn't human anymore. She shook her hair out of her eyes and licked her lips. "As I was saying…Esme answered the phone when Jasper called and, since Alice wasn't home, cell phones didn't exist, and caller I.D. hadn't been invented, it was from a pay phone. Jasper said that while they trying to get back to their hotel room, they ran into some unexpected traffic and that he attacked a human…a girl to be more specific. He had never attacked a human before her, though. Her blood called to him much like yours called to Edward, but unlike my brother, Emmett couldn't resist. Of course, when Jasper first told me that Emmett attacked a woman, I immediately assumed the worst. I thought he had cheated on me with the poor human girl. When they got back home, I had never been so angry or felt so betrayed in my life. Jasper tried to calm me down, but as soon as I saw Emmett, I went ballistic. I screamed at him, telling him that I hated him and that…that…" Her words got stuck in her throat and, when I looked into her eyes, they were watering.

"Rosalie, are you okay?" I asked, leaning forward in concern. "You don't have to continue if you don't want to."

"No," Rosalie said, shaking her head. "It's fine, really; I just can't believe I got so angry at Emmett when it wasn't even his fault."

I laughed without mirth. She smiled tightly at me, understanding my mirthless chuckle. "Believe me," I said with a sigh, "I know how it feels."

A pregnant, but comfortable silence fell between us as we were both lost in our own thoughts. I'm assuming that Rosalie was reliving the night she got that terrifying telephone call from Jasper and the heated argument between herself and Emmett that followed upon his return home. I could only imagine how horrible she must've felt when she got so upset with him when he did something that he couldn't control. There was one good thing about her story, though: it gave me hope. If Emmett was able to forgive his wife after she accused him of infidelity, with a human no less, and screamed that she hated him, then my conversation with Edward seemed like a walk in the park. I swallowed the lump that had risen in my throat and shuddered.

Edward…

If only I knew where he was. He, too, had run away when he felt vulnerable, much like I had. Except he hadn't acted without cause. He had every right to run away after the verbal attack I had launched on him. He didn't deserve it, especially when he had been feeling guilty as it was. I shouldn't have reacted in the way I had and I knew that. But knowing that Emmett had forgiven Rosalie and witnessing first hand just how strong their love was, it gave me unfaltering hope. I could prove to Edward that I didn't resent or hate him like he thought I did. I could prove to him that I loved him just as much as I did on the day we declared ourselves in the meadow…the meadow…

"Oh my God!" I said, leaping up from the couch and nearly tipping it over from the force of my jump. "That's it!"

"What?" Rosalie questioned, having been pulled from her reverie due to my outburst.

I could barely contain my excitement. "I know where Edward is!"

"What? Where is he?"

But I couldn't answer; I was much too excited. I pulled Rosalie into a bone crushing hug and squealed when she squeezed me back, laughing all the while, before asking, "Can I borrow your car?"


	13. Chapter 12

A/N: I'm glad you all liked the last chapter! I'm normally not one to complain, but I know you guys can do better than 20 reviews! Chapter Nine got 54 reviews! But I still thank each and every single one of you who review my work. You have no idea how much I appreciate it and, even though the number isn't as impressive as Chapter Nine, I know you guys are still reading and that's what makes me write!

This chapter wasn't difficult to write, but it wasn't easy either. So, I guess it was somewhere in between. If it sounds a little more angst-y than usual, the blame falls upon Silverstein's "Call It Karma" and "My Heroine". I listened to those two songs on repeatedly as I wrote this chapter. Without further adieu, I give you the next chapter. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I. Still. Don't. Own. It. **

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Chapter Twelve

Even though Rosalie's car was able to reach speeds that I had never dreamed of reaching, it seemed as though I couldn't get to the meadow fast enough. My reflexes were a lot sharper than they had ever been, which enabled me to handle the car much better than I would've been able to, had I been human. But since I wasn't used to zipping around corners at sixty miles per hour, I let out a little shriek as the tires squealed in protest.

I was surprised when I reached the dirt road in a little under fifteen minutes. Pushing the door open, I stumbled out of the car, my foot catching on the seat belt. I cursed under my breath as I untangled my foot and slammed the door behind me, not bothering to lock it. I knew that no one was going to steal it and, even if they did, I'm sure that Rosalie would understand…at least, I hoped that she would.

When I reached the tree line, I hesitated. The forest looked more foreboding than I ever thought possible. A small flicker of fear surged through my body before I realized it was pointless to fear the dark, as I was now a creature of the night. I should welcome the darkness, not shun it and be fearful of it. But the human side that was buried not so far from the surface told me to turn around and wait in the car until sunrise, which couldn't be very far off, judging by the position of the moon, and then go search for Edward.

_But what if he leaves before you get there? _

A real tremor of fear rolled down my spine at the thought. I wouldn't lose Edward. Not again. I refused to let something like that happen to me, to _us_, again. Especially after I had just gotten him back naught but three months ago. Expelling a breath, I stepped into the thicket of trees. I bit back a shout of surprised, and fear, as my foot cracked a fallen branch in half. I shook my head, feeling completely ridiculous. I shouldn't be scared of the things that go bump in the night: they should be scared of me. I was the one the creatures hidden in the dark shadows should be scared of.

Squaring my shoulders, I closed my eyes and tried to calm the chaotic mess that was my conscious. I had to prepared myself for the worst. If he wasn't in the meadow -- even though I was almost 100 percent positive that he was --, I had to be sure that I could handle it. I couldn't let my grief get the better of me. I would have to shove the feelings down, pick my head up, and start thinking. It wasn't just that I refused to lose Edward for the sake of our relationship and the love, the intense passion, we held for one another, but if I lost Edward, then I'd lose myself. He was my other half and, without him, I was nothing. Just an empty shell. He was a part of me and, should he leave my life, I would be incomplete for all eternity. And I wouldn't let that happen.

Taking a deep breath, I opened my eyes and started running. I started out slowly at first, cautious of my speed and the trees around me. I glanced down at my feet every few seconds to make sure that nothing would trip me. That'd be god awful if I fell flat on my face. Not only would it delay me, but I'm sure that Edward would hear the crash from the meadow. But as I delved deeper into the forest, my confidence increased and I picked up the speed. Soon, the wind was whipping my hair back away from my face and I was weaving in and out of trees with ease. I was surprised that I had already mastered the skill of running; almost as astonished as I was when I'd look upon the carcass of the deer I had just fed upon.

I slowed when I noticed that I was getting close. If I made too much noise, Edward would hear my approach and, most likely, flee. And I couldn't let that happen. Taking extra care, I all but tiptoed to the edge of the trees, hiding behind the needle branches of an overgrown evergreen. I slipped on a pinecone and nearly lost my footing, causing Edward to turn his head in my direction. The stony look that had been set into place on his defined features vanished as a curious expression slide briefly into place. I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, hoping that he didn't hear or see me. Thankfully, I hadn't been able to see the impenetrable sadness that lurked in his eyes as his gaze swept over the surrounding area. Cautiously, I cracked one of my eyes open and saw that he had returned to staring at whatever he had been staring at. I suppressed the urge to breath a sigh of relief.

I watched him for a few moments, wondering what sort of ridiculous thoughts were racing through that beautiful head of his. If he was even thinking about handing himself over to the Volturi again, so help me, I would wring his porcelain neck. Though he may have over one hundred years on me, I was a newly made vampire; we possessed the same alarming amount of strength.

Finally, I'd had enough of waiting. I had to make him see that I still loved him as much as I had before he had changed me, if not more so. I had to make him see that I didn't regret him changing me. I had to make him see that he was being incredibly stupid for thinking such thoughts.

I stood up quickly and pushed the branches out of my way, all but stumbling into the meadow. Edward was on his feet at once and alert, his body shifting into a tense, attack stance. But once he saw that it was me, the sadness returned to his eyes and his shoulders sagged. He seemed surprised however, when I marched toward him, more determined than ever.

We were inches apart now; I could feel the coolness radiating off his body through the fabric of his clothes. Neither of us dared to speak. I tilted my head to look up at him and saw the intense melancholy that had settled into his face, that glimmered in his ocher eyes; he must've fed after our argument. I lifted a hand to stroke his cheek and he flinched. I think he had expected me to slap him. I didn't know whether I should laugh or scold him from thinking such a preposterous thought! I could barely control the tingling in my fingers. I brought one hand to his face and rested it against his cheek, stroking the length of his cheekbone with the pad of my thumb. Instead of leaning into my touch like I thought he would, he turned away and took a step back from me.

Hurt, I looked into his eyes. "Edward?"

"You shouldn't be here." He said as he averted his eyes, his voice devoid of any emotion.

"And why not?" I challenged, taking a step toward him. Unsurprisingly, he took a step back.

"Because you just shouldn't, all right?!" He growled fiercely. His eyelids fluttered shut over his eyes and he took a deep breath through his nose. In and out. In and out. "I need to be alone."

"No," I replied, shaking my head. "No, you don't."

He sent me a stern look. "Yes, I do."

"No you do not!" I shouted, striding toward him. Before he could back away, I grabbed two handfuls of his shirt and pulled him toward me. His eyes turned stony, as did his expression, and he glared down his nose at me. I threw daggers back. My chest heaved as we stared into each other's eyes. His hands came over my own and he squeezed my fingers until I let go of his shirt.

"Bella," He whispered, his golden orbs turning sorrowful and pleading once more as he held onto my hand for dear life. If I was still human, he would've broken every bone in my hand. "Please. I really do need to be alone."

"You honestly think I'd leave you alone to your self destructive thoughts?!" I shot back angrily, poking him in the chest roughly. "I think not!"

"You have no idea what you're talking about…"

"I think I do, Edward! Jasper told me everything."

"Jasper doesn't know anything!" Edward bellowed, his voice echoing in the dead of the night. Even when he was furious and yelling at me, he still looked so hauntingly beautiful.

"You can't fool an empathic! You of all people should know that!" I pinched the bridge of my nose and took a deep breath. This wasn't going like I thought it would. In fact, it was only getting worse and worse as every second ticked by. I turned my eyes to him once more and we locked gazes.

After a few minutes of glaring at one another, I sighed. "Why can't you just let yourself be happy?"

"How can I be happy when you clearly are not?" Edward murmured, his shoulders sagging once again. He hung his head, his bronze hair falling into his eyes as he stared at the ground.

Did he honestly think that I wasn't happy? Did he truly think that I was upset with the new life I led? How could he think such thoughts? I shook my head ardently and closed the distance between us, wrapping my arms securely around his waist. He tensed in my arms before he tried to unlock them around his body, but I held strong.

"Bella," He sighed heavily. "Let me go."

"No!" I said, shaking my head as I locked my fingers and held onto him for dear life. "I won't let you go. Not until you realize that you're being incredibly daft!"

"Daft?" Edward repeated incredulously. With that, I pushed away from him and stared up into his face, which wore an expression of both shock and anger.

"Yes! Daft! Foolish! Completely idiotic!" I shouted, tempted to smack him upside the head to knock some common sense into his noggin. "It doesn't matter what word I use because they all accurately describe how stupid you are being right now!"

He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. "No! I'm not done talking yet. How can you think that I'm not happy?" I questioned, cocking my head to the side in genuine curiosity. He turned away, but I grabbed his chin and force him to look at me. "Tell me." I demanded, my tone pleading. "Please."

Edward pulled his face out of my grasp and turned his back toward me, walking toward the horizon at the edge of the meadow. I followed him, but stopped a few feet behind him when he suddenly started talking. "The first time I realized I was in love with you, I wasn't sure if it was because I was attracted to your blood or if I really truly loved you." He chuckled mirthlessly. "But Esme made me see that I really did love you and only you. While I still thirsted after your blood, I saw the other things that made you all the more precious to me. Your smile, your laugh, your blush, your delicate humanity." He looked over his shoulder at me with a mournful smile on his face. "And I took that away from you." He turned back around and stared into the slowly sinking moon.

I stood there, completely flabbergasted into silence. I opened my mouth several times and tried to speak, but nothing came out. I had lost my voice right when I needed it the most. I licked my lips and cleared my throat to say something. Anything. "Edward…" I croaked out pathetically.

"I stole away every precious human moment you could've had; the experience of being a mother, watching your children grow old, growing old yourself with the one you loved right beside you." He pushed a hand through his hair and sighed. "I took that away from you in a selfish moment because I couldn't picture myself without you. You're a part of me, Bella. Without you, I am nothing."

"Then why are you so unhappy?" I asked, barely breathing as I waited for his response.

"Because you never got to say if you really wanted this…this…_curse_." He replied, growling the last word with such fierce hatred, a tremor rolled down my spine.

Despite the situation, I couldn't help but laugh. Edward whipped around and glared at me as my shoulders shook with mirth. I couldn't believe it; Jasper had hit the nail right on the head. It was ridiculous, ludicrous, completely preposterous! I swallowed my bitter laughter and met his eyes.

"How can you say that when you know I wanted this?" I questioned. "Why do you feel so guilty when you _saved me_. If you hadn't have bitten me, I would be six feet underground by not! I would be dead, Edward, _dead_. Would you much rather me be dead than by your side for all eternity? Is that thought of spending forever with me that repulsive? Do I make you that unhappy?"

A look of complete shock and disgust flashed in his eyes. I had resorted to false accusations, but at least I was getting somewhere. That simple look told me that he wasn't completely lost. In fact, the fire still burned in his orbs as he stared at me.

"No, it's not that! It has never been that!" Edward said hurriedly. "You are one of the few things in this life that make me feel complete. I have never been so happy in my entire life than when I'm around you."

"Then why are you acting this way?"

"How can you love me when I stole your life away from you?" He asked, a note of fear in his voice.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as well as grab him by the shoulders and shake him. Did I need to beat it into his head with a baseball bat? "For the last time, Edward, you didn't steal anything away from me!" I shouted, infuriated at his line of thought. "You gave me the life I wanted! I wanted to become a vampire and you fulfilled my wish!"

I walked toward him and stopped only when my chest brushed against his. I wasn't aware how hard I was breathing until I gazed up into his painfully beautiful face. I placed a hand on either side of his face and smiled. "I want you, Edward. You are all I ever wanted and all I'll ever need." I breathed sincerely, forcing him to hear the honesty in my voice. I pushed myself up on my tiptoes and my lips brushed against his as I spoke, "I love you."

And then I kissed him. I kissed him with such passion that even the people who loathed him felt the intense love that I felt for him, my Edward. I slid my hands down the curve of his neck and tangled my fingers through the stray tendrils of hair at the back of his neck. I smiled against his lips as he wound his arms around my waist and our bodies melded to one another.

The moment was incredibly perfect. The two of us kissing fervently, bathed in the pale moonlight in the middle of our meadow, completely lost in the thought of one another. It was as though nothing else matter aside from this kiss. This kiss was the remedy for all the problems we had. This kiss was what brought us closer together than we had ever been.

But unfortunately, this kiss was interrupted by a very familiar voice and a particularly repulsive smell.

"I thought I smelled a bloodsucker."

Edward and I broke apart and my eyes widened in shock as I saw the one face I knew would cause a whole new bout of trouble.

"Jake?"


	14. Chapter 13

A/N: I have but one thing to say…HOLY HELL! I was shocked when I received all those reviews! Thanks so much, you guys; it really means a lot to me. And I hate complaining about not receiving as many reviews as previous chapters had, but sometimes, it's needed for a confidence boost and boy, did you guys ever boost my confidence.

Sorry that this chapter is a bit later than usual; I've been really busy this summer, but fear not, I haven't forgotten this story! It's my baby and I plan to see it through to the end and then some. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the chapter!

I will say one thing, though: I don't hate Jacob Black and I normally don't like him portraying the part of the "bad guy", but for the purpose of the plotline, I have to cast Jake in a semi-negative light. I feel horrible for doing so, but it's necessary. So, SORRY JAKE! I love you…just not as much as I love Edward and all the rest of the Cullens!

**Disclaimer: Is it really necessary to even pose the question? I think not. **

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Chapter Thirteen

I blinked several times to make sure that Jake wasn't a figment of my imagination and that he really was standing there at the edge of the meadow. I tried pinching myself and winced when my own sharp nails dug into my skin; I had forgotten about the abnormal strength.

That confirmed it: Jake was real. I wasn't insane and he wasn't a delusion. He was there and, to be honest, I wasn't too happy about it. I couldn't ignore the burning fury deep in her chest as I stared at him in surprise. He had succeed in ruining what had been the most perfect moment in my entire life, not to mention started what would most likely turn into another heated row between myself and Edward.

No one dared to speak. Tension hung thick in the air, nearly suffocating me as I stood next to Edward, my left hand encased in his much larger one. Even though I may not be an empathic, I could see feel the anger rolling off both male parties in attendance in huge waves.

It was Jacob who decided to break the tense silence.

"Scared?" He asked, tauntingly.

I could feel Jake's cold, dark eyes boring into me and I shifted uncomfortably, taking a small step backward and shielding myself behind Edward's shoulder. It wasn't that I was afraid of Jake, not by any means; I just didn't want him staring at me like that…it made me feel funny and out of place.

"Should I be?" I retorted bitingly.

"Yes," Jake replied, pointedly turning his gaze to Edward. His lip curled at the corner and I saw a bright flash of sharp white teeth. "But not of me."

Edward growled in response and I squeezed his hand tightly. He turned to look at me and I locked eyes with him. His chest rumbled with a low snarl that he was itching to let loose. Slowly, I shook my head.

"What do you want, _dog_?" Edward questioned, tearing his eyes away from me and glaring at Jake.

I rolled my eyes, wishing that he would've listened to me just this once instead of assuming the role of my protector. I didn't want them to argue because I was still torn up by Jake's obvious avoidance of me. It didn't help that he was the one responsible for my grounding until the end of the school year.

A pang of hurt surged through my chest as the memory of the heated argument between Charlie and I flashed before my eyes. If I could've taken back half of the things I had said and thought, I would do it in a heart beat…but my heart no longer beat and time travel was impossible.

My attention was snapped back to the presence at the sound of a fierce growl. I turned my eyes away from the ground and looked at Jake, an eyebrow raised. His bare chest was heaving and his fists were clenched; he was resisting the natural instinct of phasing at first whiff of his sworn enemy.

"I just want to talk to her."

"What makes you think she wants to talk to you?" Edward asked.

Jake's eyes darted to me. "Is he always this controlling?"

"Jake…" I said, warningly.

But my voice went unheard, for Edward had growled so ferociously, my voice had been completely drowned out and his snarl echoed in the night.

"I'll take that as a yes." Jacob said smugly as an equally smug grin stretched across his lips. It looked unnatural on his sweet face.

Edward opened his mouth to say something, but I dropped his hand and covered his mouth with my now free hand. He glared at me and I glared back, ignoring Jake's chuckles as best as I could.

I leaned toward him and whispered into his ear. "Please, just let me handle this. I don't want a repeat of May. We've only just fixed things and another argument between us will only make things worse. So please, Edward, let me see what he wants." I sighed and pulled my head away from his ear, looking up into his eyes. "Will you please let me do this?"

He expelled a cold puff of air against the palm of my hand and reluctantly nodded. I took my hand away from his mouth and he quickly said, "Just because I'm agreeing to this doesn't mean that I like it."

"I know."

"And if I even sense that he is upsetting you, we are leaving."

"All right, fine." I sighed and nodded in agreement. "But until I find out what he wants, just stay here, okay?"

Edward grunted, bobbed his head again and took a step back. He shoved his hands in his pockets and mumbled under his breath. I wasn't able to catch what he was saying, and gave up trying to decipher his mumblings. I turned my back to him and looked at Jake.

His expression was still the smuggest, and least attractive, I had ever seen. "Has the brooding hero finally gotten over himself and actually let you make a decision on your own?"

"Jake, please." I said. "I don't want to fight with you."

"And I don't want to fight with you."

"Then why do you say things like that when you know they upset me?" I inquired, placing my hands on my hips in a very motherly fashion.

Jake locked gazes with me and his dark brown eyes smoldered with emotion as he spoke. "You don't see the control he has over you, Bella. If you told you to jump off a bridge, you would do it in a heart beat."

Knowing that Edward could hear every word that we were saying, I kept my comments to myself and didn't say anything in response because I knew that it was true, for the most part anyway.

While Edward didn't have control over me, I knew that the majority of my decisions were based on him and his opinions. His input was incredibly important to me and most of the choices I had made with his help turned out for the better. Key word being most. The thing was that, if Edward asked me to jump off a bridge, I would do it in a heart beat because I knew the only reason why he would ever ask me to do such a ridiculous thing would be for my benefit.

Deciding that delaying the point of the conversation would just lead to more trouble, I pushed a hand through my thick, brown locks and bit back another sigh. "What do you want, Jake?"

He looked over my shoulder at Edward and his eyes narrowed before he returned his gaze to me. "I wanted to make sure you were still alive."

"What do you mean?" I asked, genuinely perplexed.

"Don't you get it, Bella?" Jake said, laughing slightly, though his laughter contained no mirth. "Everyone in Forks thinks you died in the car accident."

I gaped at him, my mouth opening and closing a few times. A thousand and one thoughts were racing through my mind, but I seemed incapable of voicing them. My throat had gone dry and had closed up, rendering me speechless.

"They…they…"

"Yes, Bells," Jake said, his voice a great deal softer than it had been just moments ago. "They think you're dead. The preparations for your funeral are almost complete."

"Who's planning it?" I questioned, closing my eyes and hoping that he wouldn't say what he did.

"Your mother, of course. Who else would plan it?"

"S-she's here?" I croaked. And almost instantaneously, Edward was by my side, his gaze fixated on Jake and a low, rumbling growl forming deep within his stone chest. When he moved to fold me in his arms, I held out a hand; Edward grimaced at me and walked back to where he had been standing - close enough to hear what was going on, but far away enough to give Jake and I some privacy.

Sighing, I turned my attention back to Jake. "Is she all right?"

He shrugged his bare shoulders. "Would you be all right if your daughter died in a car accident?"

"But I'm not dead!" I shouted, my voice echoing into the night as I took a deep and steadying breath.

"I can see that, Bells." Jake replied with a small chuckle. He opened his mouth to say something else when a light breeze rustled my hair and sent a few locks flying in his direction.

The sudden change of his facial expression frightened me and I was hit by an overwhelming case of

déjà vu.

Two things happened at once: Jake began to convulse, shudder after shudder rolling up his spine as a tormented look cross over his features. He snarled and snapped his teeth at me as a tremor rippled through his stomach. Before I registered that he was about to phase, a pair of cold, stone arms wrapped around my middle and I was tossed aside like a rag doll.

I hit the ground with a loud thump and, unsurprisingly, I found that the impact didn't hurt at all. A chorus of loud growls, howls, and everything in between rang in my ears as my eyes snapped to the meadow. I gasped in shock as I pushed myself to my feet, watching in horror as Edward struggled against Jake in his werewolf form.

Jake was positively frightening; the muscles in his calves and arms rippling as he fought against Edward, whose muscles were also straining in protest. Wolf-Jake lashed out with a huge paw, slashing Edward across the chest and ripping his shirt; I couldn't tell if Jake had caused any injury to Edward's stone chest.

It was all over so fast: a scream tore through my throat as Jake pinned Edward to the ground and placed his massive hands upon his stark white neck. Before I even knew what I was doing, I propelled myself at the red-brown werewolf, colliding with its back roughly and successfully knocking him off of Edward.

Standing, wolf-Jake turned to me and we stared at each other for a long moment. I could see the pain in his dark eyes as he fought the monster he had just morphed into. Slowly, but surely, Jake began to tremble, his thick, red-brown fur falling off in chunks before he had changed back into his human form -- completely naked, I might add, though I barely noticed.

And, even though I knew that he had harmed Edward, I couldn't take my eyes off of his deep, penetrating gaze.

"Jake," I whispered pitifully.

My voice seemed to snap him back into reality and his eyes flashed with intense hatred, his features rearranging themselves in what could only be described as the most unattractive expression of the deepest loathing I had ever seen in my entire life.

"YOU'RE ONE OF THEM?!" He roared at me, his entire being shaking once again.

"Yes." I murmured under my breath, hanging my head.

"Why?!" Jake screamed in outrage. His gaze flickered over to Edward, who was slowly rising into a standing position, his face scratched and chest leaking thick, burgundy blood onto his white button-up shirt. Jake's dark eyes found mine again. "**HE** DID THIS TO YOU!?"

"If it wasn't for him," I shouted back, clenching my fists in fury. "I wouldn't even be alive!"

"You call yourself alive?!" A loud, long and bitter laugh escaped Jake's throat. "You're a fucking vampire, Bella! You're not alive!"

"Yes, I-."

"No!" He cut me off suddenly, stalking toward me. I retreated as quickly as I could and ended up backing into Edward's chest. His arms flew around my waist and locked tightly, holding me close to his body; I could feel his sticky blood soaking through the back of my tee shirt.

"No, Bella!" Jake growled again. "You're not alive. Not to me, at least."

I could feel tears gathering in my eyes, and I pressed myself against Edward as tightly as I could; I barely felt him stumbled backward under the pressure I applied.

Jake started backing up once again, toward edge of the meadow and the thick perimeter of trees that surrounded it.

"Jacob-." I started, but he held up a huge hand and silenced me.

"Don't talk to me, _bloodsucker_." He spat furiously.

"But Jake-."

"You're better off dead to me."

I took a deep breath, trying to force the tears back so that he wouldn't see that he was upsetting me. "You don't mean that." I whispered.

"No, I think I do, Bella!" Jake shouted as he took a step backward into the forest. "You were better off dead than a vampire!"

And with that, he was gone. Just as quickly as he had came, he had left and a hollow spot began to form in my chest. A whimper tore through my throat as I turned in Edward's arms, wanting nothing more than to seek refuge in his arms. I moved to press my head against his chest and let him soothe me when he staggered backward.

I picked my head up and looked into his eyes, which were glossed over with a peculiar foggy white layer. Panic consumed me as I stared at him in horror.

"Edward?!" I screeched as he leaned heavily against the trunk of a tree, his chest wound bleeding more than ever.


	15. Chapter 14

A/N: Hello, everyone! I'm incredibly sorry that I haven't updated in the longest time, but it seems as though my Harry Potter mania has finally taken a hold of me, just as I feared it would, and it had completely distracted me from this story. I know, how horrible of me to forgot about Twilight, right? Anywho, I recommend that you go see Order of the Phoenix; in my opinion, it's the best one yet. And Daniel Radcliffe? TOTAL BABE.

I'm sure you probably don't want me to rant on and on about Harry Potter when I could be talking about Twilight. So here we are: the fourteenth chapter. I'm not sure how much longer this story will be, but I'm sure they're will only be about…five or six more chapters. I'm not guaranteeing that will be the final length - it might be longer, it might be shorter. But rest assured, there is a sequel in the works!

And finally, I wanted to thank all of my readers for reviewing; you have no idea how much I appreciate the feedback. I know there were quite a few questions concerning the last chapter, but they will, hopefully, all be answered. And as always, if you have any questions or comments about the story, feel free to PM me.

**Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own it. **

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Chapter Fourteen

I hurried over to his side, dropping down to my knees in front of him. My eyes widened in shock at the state of him. My lower lip trembled as I took his chiseled face into my stone hands and searched his golden eyes.

"Edward?" I said softly, stroking his high cheekbone with the pad of my thumb.

His gaze met mine and he blinked owlishly at me. "Bella?" His brow furrowed and he shook his head, placing one of his hands over mine and taking it off of his face. "What's wrong?"

Again, my eyes widened. "What's wrong?" I repeated, disbelievingly; was he really asking me that?

"What's wrong?!?" I said again, the note of hysteria in my voice becoming more apparent as my hands started to shake uncontrollably. "What's wrong is that Jacob," I spat the name out like it was poison, for that all it was to me now, "attacked you and the pair of you fought and then he cut you with one of his claws and now you're bleeding and-."

"Bella-."

"And I can't get you to stop bleeding!" I cried, removing my other hand from his face and placing it over the violent bloodstain of his white cotton shirt. "And I don't know what I should do. And it's all my fault-."

"Bella!" Edward exclaimed.

I stopped, mid-hysteric rant and my eyes found his. "What?" I bit out, more harshly than I intended to.

Much to my surprise, Edward chuckled softly. I felt my brow knit together in confusion as I searched his eyes, hoping that he wasn't in any pain and that this…chortling was caused by his numbness. But instead of finding pain or blankness, I found that his golden orbs were twinkling brightly.

"…why are you laughing?" I asked, frowning. Quite frankly, I didn't see anything funny about the situation at all; quite the opposite, actually, I was in hysterics and Edward was laughing.

"Because of you." He replied, a small smile quirking the corner of his lips. He pushed himself up into a standing position and I was left on the ground, kneeling at his feet. He held out his hand for me and I took it, momentarily dazed.

"W-what…how are you doing that?"

"I'm fine." Edward assured me, still holding my hand tightly.

"B-b-but, there was so much blood." I stuttered, shaking my head to myself and pulling my hand out of his grasp. "No, this is just a delusion, isn't it?"

"No, it's not." Edward said, a hint of exasperation in his voice. "This is real."

I looked at him and shook my finger at him. "Oh no, there's no fooling me this time." I said, a bitter laugh escaping my throat. "I'm not letting my own delusional thoughts get the better of me. This is just a dream."

"Bella-."

"Stop trying to convince me otherwise!" I shouted angrily. I idly wondered when the horrible, empty feeling in my chest would take a hold of me and crush me.

He rolled his eyes and grabbed my face between his hands, kissing me roughly on the lips. I was momentarily shocked into standing stock still and then, slowly, my lips began to work against his. He kissed me back, but quickly pulled away, suddenly remembering himself.

"Does that convince you?" He questioned, panting.

I nodded my head dumbly. "Y-yeah." My lips were burning, but pleasantly so. "But that still doesn't explain…" I trailed off, heavily hinting at what had just happened.

Edward sighed. "I don't have time to explain now. We have to get back to the house before Jacob alerts the werewolves that we've broke the treaty and changed you."

I opened my mouth to say something, but Edward silenced me with one stern look. I was going to protest, demanding that he explain it to me now, but the glimmer in his eyes told me that he actually was going to clue me in on what had happened and why he wasn't bleeding freely from his chest wound, which had mysteriously disappeared.

"Did you run here or did you bring a car?" He asked.

"I borrowed Rosalie's BMW and then I ran from the car to here." I answered.

His eyes widened, but he quickly shook his head to himself, shaking off his apparent disbelief. "All right, we'll have to run as fast as we can to the car."

"Why?" I inquired as we started toward the edge of the meadow.

"There's a chance that your little friend-."

"He's no longer my friend, Edward."

A small, satisfied smile graced his lips as he pushed a branch out the way. "As I was saying, there's a chance that Jacob slashed the tires."

I growled at the idea, but didn't consider it outside of Jacob's behavior. It was brash, yes, but he was livid with not only me, but Edward as well. His harsh words flooded my mind, but I pushed them back to the best of my ability and prepared myself for the mad dash back to the car.

X - X - X

Even though I didn't need to breathe, I was panting by the time we reached the BMW. Thankfully, after close inspection, we saw that the tires hadn't been slashed as Edward had feared. He didn't open the passenger side door for me like he used to, but somehow, it didn't matter. There were more important matters at hand, and the number one issue was getting back to the house before Jacob rallied his fellow werewolves and they attacked the Cullens.

We drove in silence. I was completely absorbed in my own thoughts. It was my fault that this was happening. I was, once again, causing the Cullens more trouble that I was worth. If they would've just stay away…if Alice hadn't had the vision of me jumping off the cliff…if Edward hadn't gone to the Volturi, they wouldn't be in this unnecessary danger. Though they might not all point directly to me, in some way, I was somehow involved in all of those events. So I couldn't control the fact that Alice had visions or that Edward fell in love with me, but I could've tried harder to resist him…

Oh, who was I kidding? I was nothing without Edward and, if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't even be alive. I reached across the armrest and control consul that separated us and grabbed his hand, lacing my fingers through his and giving it a tight squeeze. He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye and I knew, at the precise moment, no matter what happened, I would be okay. Together, Edward and I could conquer any hurdle life threw at us…

Even if that "hurdle" was a pack of raging werewolves who were out for revenge for breaking a century old contract that had been forged between two bitter, mortal enemies, not forgetting that one of the said werewolves had a personal vendetta against the love of my life and who also happened to have a soft spot for me. Or at least, he did have a soft spot for me. If anything, it was just a big, gapping hole of boiling anger.

"We're here." Edward said, his voice cutting through the silence of the car like a sharp knife. I opened my door and slammed it shut behind me, walking around the front of the car and taking a hold of his icy hand once again. As we walked briskly across the lawn, the front door open and the screen door slapped the frame. In the dim light of the front porch sconce, I could see Alice rushing toward us, her legs carrying her gracefully.

"What happened?" She asked, breathlessly, even though I was almost entirely sure she had seen nearly everything that happened. Her eyes darted toward Edward's chest and her golden eyes widened in both shock and fear.

"I'll explain in a minute." Edward replied, tugging me toward the house. I exchanged a look with Alice, promising her silently that I would tell her everything, even if Edward did give everyone a brief outline of what had happened. She nodded her head and followed us into the house, shutting the front door firmly behind us and locking it. You know, just in case.

Much to my surprise, everyone was already gathered in the living room. Rosalie and Esme were sitting on the couch together, Carlisle and Emmett sitting on the arms of the couch next to their respective wives. Jasper was standing near the fireplace, looking worried. When I entered the room, he looked up at me and I smiled weakly. Only he knew exactly what I was feeling at this moment and it was nothing short of sheer panic.

Edward and I stood there, side by side, awkward as six pairs of eyes stared at us; I looked down at myself to make sure that I was still wearing clothes and breathed a sigh in relief when I saw that I was, that's how hard they were staring at us. I chanced a glance at Edward and saw that he was just as anxious, if not more so, than I was. I'm sure it was because he believed that he had a better grasp on how serious the situation was, but judging by what I had just seen unfolded naught by a half hour ago, I could only assume that every single one of us was in severe danger.

I tried to catch Edward's eye, but I found that he had his gaze trained on Carlisle. Great, there they went with another one of their silent conversations. It would've annoyed me a lot more than it was, if the situation wasn't so dire. Actually, I'd rather they have the conversation to themselves instead of at large, so we could come to a solution sooner and without everyone asking questions.

Edward gave my hand a particularly tight squeeze before he nodded his head. They had already made the decision. Though Edward might've been the youngest in the family when it came to physical appearance, his opinion was crucial in all the decision making, even if Carlisle was the leader of the family.

My eyes flickered over to Alice, who sent me a reassuring smile. Although I knew that she was trying to let me know that everything was going to be all right and I shouldn't worry, her smile only made me more unsettled and anxious. What was going to happen to us? What if the werewolves were already on their way over here as we stood, and sat, in a stony silence that not even the chirping crickets outside seemed able to penetrate.

"Carlisle…?" Emmett said softly, his voice barely above a whisper, yet I could hear it perfectly.

Carlisle broke eye contact with Edward at the sound of Emmett's uneasy voice and surveyed the room. His golden eyes had gone cold, all light having vanished. His features were harsher than I was used to and I suddenly realized it wasn't because he was angry, but because he was fearing for the very lives of his family. His gaze lingered on me and I squirmed under the scrutiny.

"Everyone pack your things as quickly as possible. We're leaving the house in two minutes." Carlisle finally spoke, his tone leaving no room for argument. As soon as the words left his mouth, everyone was out of their seats and went flying up the stairs. I moved toward the staircase myself, but Edward pulled me back to his side.

"What's going on?" I asked, thoroughly confused. I tilted my head upward to better look Edward in the face and furrowed my brow; would anything get explained to me tonight? Well, technically, it was morning, seeing as how sunlight was breaking through the thin slivers in the curtains drawn over the front windows.

"You two are going ahead of us to Denali." Carlisle answered, his voice grave. "We'll make sure you have clothes, as we'll probably be staying a long time."

I opened my mouth to say something, but Edward shook his head. I rolled my eyes. "You'll explain later?"

Edward nodded. "On the car ride there, actually. It's a long ride."

I smiled tightly at him and wrapped my arm around his, hugging it to me. He planted a small kiss on the top of my head before turning his full attention to Carlisle, his expression dangerously serious.

"Does the Volvo have enough gas to make it to past the border?" Carlisle asked.

"No, it doesn't-."

"Why are we driving?" I questioned. "Wouldn't it be quicker to fly?"

"They'll be expecting that." Edward answered. "It's more than likely they already have someone waiting at the airport for us. Besides, it would take too long to get a flight out of Port Angeles and the chances of catching a plane last minute to Alaska from Port Angeles is-."

"Slim to none." I finished. I sighed and nodded my head all the same; the sooner we got to Denali, the better.


	16. Chapter 15

A/N: I'd like to thank you all so very much for reviewing the last chapter. Normally, I would wait about two weeks before posting an update, but since I'll be leaving for Ohio tomorrow morning, I figured that I'd give you guys a going away present and post the chapter early. Since I'm being so generous, note the sarcasm, I'd love it if you guys went out of your way and reviewed. I appreciate each and every single review I get and keep 'em coming; I don't know how many more you'll be able to post since the story is coming to a close! That being said, enjoy!

Chapter Fifteen

We had been in the car for nearly twenty minutes, but neither of us dared speak a word. The silence between us was both comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time. It was comfortable because there was hardly ever a moment where I didn't feel safe around Edward, not to mention the fact that I knew him better than anyone else in my life. Which was saying something, considering I didn't know as much about him as I thought I did. But at the same time, it was extremely uncomfortable because all the unanswered questions hung in the air like moisture on a sweltering hot summer's day. I made several attempts to open my mouth, to try and speak, but nothing came out. It seemed as though my vocal chords had decided to rebel against my mind and refused to work, much to my displeasure.

So instead of focusing on all the questions I wanted to ask and was yearning to learn the answer to, I kept myself occupied by thinking of Renee and Phil and my old life in Phoenix. I could barely remember that girl, the sullen girl who didn't have many friends at all and considered a eventful Friday night painting her toenails a vibrant orange. I didn't want to remember that girl, she wasn't the person I had wanted to be. The person, or creature, I was today was something I did want to be, something I had always wanted to be. All right, so maybe I didn't aspire to becoming a vampire when I was a little girl, but at least I had come out of my shell.

I sighed and shifted my position in the front seat. The Mercedes was a lot more roomier than Edward's Volvo. Since his car had been out of gas, Carlisle had tossed Edward the keys to his black sedan and told us that they were going to meet us at some hotel in the town of Kamloops, which was located in British Columbia. Before we had left the house, however, I gave Carlisle a quick hug and muttered my thanks. He had smiled kindly at me and told us that we needed to get a move on.

I never expected the Cullens to flee, but I'm glad they were. Or rather, we were, seeing as how everyone in the house was considering me a Cullen as well. A small smile graced my lips, but quickly vanished when I remembered that I was the reason why we were fleeing. Though no one had given the final word, I knew that the Cullens wouldn't be able to go back to their home in Forks. All their hard work was going to waste and all because of me.

I scoffed in disgust at myself.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked, his voice hollow.

I looked at him and saw that he wore a vacant expression, his dull golden eyes glued to the road. I shrugged my shoulders and leaned back into the seat, attempting to make myself as comfortable as physically possible.

"Nothing," I muttered under my breath, not taking my gaze off of his stony face.

He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye and, even then, I could tell that he didn't believe me. It wasn't like I was trying to disguise it, though. I just didn't want him to have to deal with this as well. He was shouldering so much guilt as it was, not to mention an immense heap of responsibility that had just been added to the weight already resting on his shoulders.

"It certainly doesn't sound like 'nothing'." He replied.

"I just don't want you to worry about it," I said as I reached over and took one of his hands off the steering wheel so I could hold it. "You have enough on your mind as it is."

Edward laced his fingers through mine and pulled my hand toward his mouth, planting a soft kiss on the back of my palm. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

For some reason, that sounded funny in my ears and I chuckled. It was just so…clichéd, I couldn't help but give a small, if not mirthless laugh. When I voiced this opinion to Edward, he scoffed.

"It's not clichéd," He stated, his voice stern. "It's the truth."

I gave his hand a squeeze and nodded my head. "I know."

Heaving another great sigh, I shifted in my seat yet again, turning so that my back was to the passenger side door and I was looking at Edward. A flash of the car accident blared behind my eyelids and I pushed it away as quickly as I possibly could. I didn't need nor did I want to deal with that right now. There were more pressing issues at hand, such as what the hell we were going to do when we reached the border.

"You don't think they're waiting at the border…do you?" I questioned, the fear creeping up in my voice.

"No," answered Edward, sounding oddly confident. "They aren't there."

Even though I knew that he had known the werewolves game plan since the very beginning, or at least, since Jacob had fled the meadow and ran off, I was still curious as to what they were going to do. I cleared my throat and idly traced the back of his hand with my fingernail.

"Where are they going to be, then?" At his curious look, I continued. "I mean, you obviously know what they're doing and just so I know what we're going to do next, do you care to key me in on what's going on?"

Oddly enough, a soft laugh escaped him. "And so the Spanish Inquisition begins."

I reached over and slapped him on the arm lightly. "This is not the Spanish Inquisition. What you did to be last spring…now _that_ was similar to the Spanish Inquisition." I shook my head to myself, wondering how he was finding time, not to mention the nerve, to joke at this point. I gave his arm another abrupt shove. "And stop trying to stray off topic. You said you would answer my questions in the car ride, so here we are."

This time, it was Edward who sighed and bobbed his bronze head in agreement. "Fine, I'll answer as many questions as I can before we get to the border."

"What's so important about the border?"

"It's not that the border itself is important, I just have to locate the werewolves, give Carlisle a heads up, and contact Eleazar and Carmen, since we'll be staying at their home in Denali," he explained. "Hopefully."

My eyes widened at the last word, which he had tacked on for God only knows what reason.

"So," continued Edward. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything." I answered immediately. I could tick off a list of one hundred things, easily, but I knew that half of them didn't even pertain to the situation. "Why you were able to recover so quickly after Jacob attacked you. Why he didn't know what I was until I approached him. Everything."

He took his hand off the steering wheel, running it over his face in exasperation before replacing it back on the wheel. "You do realize that I might not know all the answers to those questions, but can only make accurate guesses?"

"I just want something!" I exclaimed, my annoyance catching up with me. Why was he delaying? Or was he stalling at all? Shaking my head, I cleared all my obnoxious, confusing thoughts out of my mind and focused on Edward. "Tell me why you recovered so quickly, first. There was so much blood."

"That's simple." He replied, shaking his hair out of his eyes. "It wasn't my blood."

I stared at him in disbelief. "But it had to have been your blood!" I shouted, causing both Edward and myself to wince at the loud volume. I sent an apologetic frown in his direction before I remembered what we were talking about. "I saw him attack you, Edward. He scratched you across your chest and you stumbled backward, bleeding freely from your chest."

"That's all very true," Edward said softly. "But you fail to forget that vampires can't bleed. Not blood, anyway. We bleed venom, even though we leak it more than bleed." He shook his head to himself, as he obviously registered how ridiculous it sounded out loud before continuing. "Jacob did scratch me when we were fighting, but it was his blood, not mine, that splattered on my chest."

"So then how did it soak through your shirt?" I inquired, pointing at the shirt in question, which was still adorning his marble torso. "How come it spread and-."

"It was the venom, Bella." Edward responded. "Venom was leaking from the wound as it replaces all of the other fluids in our bodies when we are changed. Once it blended together with Jacob's blood, it thickened and appeared to be mine own." He cast me a look. "Do you understand?"

I nodded to show that I understood, but my brow was still furrowed and an unanswered question lingered on the back of my tongue like an unpleasant taste. "Yeah, but it still doesn't explain why you recovered so fast. I mean, you lost a lot of venom. I don't know much when it comes to the bodies of vampires, but if you lost that much venom, wouldn't it be like losing blood?"

"One would think that it would, but since it replaces all of the fluids in our body and we are able to produce more naturally, we don't run out."

"But that still doesn't answer my entire question." I said, impatiently, bouncing my foot to channel out my annoyance instead of directing it at Edward. "Why did your wound heal so fast?"

Edward sent me a look, one that clearly expressed exasperation. "Because, Bella, vampires just heal faster than humans and werewolves. Unless the wound is fatal, and I mean if we are torn from limb to limb, then we almost always recover."

I didn't ask about the almost always part, but chose to keep my mouth tightly screwed shut instead, which seemed like the wisest decision.

Taking advantaged of the silence that had settled between us as I mulled over this newfound information, Edward began to explain why Jacob hadn't noticed that I was a vampire at first sight. One would think that my eyes would've been a dead give away. When I voiced this, Edward snorted.

"For one," He began, slipping his hand out of mine and gesturing with it uncharacteristically as he elaborated, "it was dark outside and he couldn't see the color of your eyes in the darkness, even with his improved senses."

"Then why couldn't he smell me?" I asked, folding my arms over my chest as I waited for his reply.

"Because he assumed that, since we were kissing, it was my scent all over you. And while your scent is a great deal different from mine, to werewolves, all vampires smell the same: sickeningly sweet. Just like all werewolves smell like the dirty, mangy dogs they really are to vampires." His hand clenched around the steering wheel so tightly, his knuckles were whiter than I had ever seen them. "And since he is a young werewolf and he hadn't committed your scent to memory, he just assumed that he was inhaling my scent off of you, instead of letting himself believe that it was coming from you. But-."

"As soon as that breeze ruffled my hair, it was a dead giveaway." I said, my voice hollow. "So, you're telling me if it wasn't for the stupid wind, we wouldn't be in this situation?"

Edward snorted again. "Maybe not right now, but it would eventually come."

My stomach churned uncomfortably.

Seeming to sense my mood, Edward grabbed my hand and intertwined his fingers with mine. "We were going to have to leave Forks soon anyway, Bella. And you know what they say? No time like the present."

I rolled my eyes, but held onto his hand as though my very existence depended on it. Sometimes, I was almost entirely certain that I would fall to pieces without him in my life. Just look at the zombie-like person I had become after he and his family had left me last autumn. I had been a hollowed out shell without him, but now that I was with him, I was once again complete.

X - X - X

It was incredibly easy to get past the border. Well, easier than I had anticipated it on being. I supposed we had luck on our side, seeing as how the Canadian officer who stopped us was a female. Edward dazzled her just like he used to dazzle me back when it actually had dramatic affects on me. He chatted her up for a few minutes, saying things that would make unsuspecting woman cave under his angelic face and intense gaze. She barely glanced over his passport and photo ID before letting us go across the border, smiling all the while; she hadn't even asked to see any of my documents and thankfully so, seeing as how I didn't have any papers on me at the moment.

When I told Edward about my concern, he just chuckled and leaned across my legs, popping open the glove compartment. I was shocked to find not only all the Cullens important travel documents, but a set of forged papers for myself.

"You honestly didn't think we weren't prepared, did you?" He questioned at my look of disbelief.

"Well…" I trailed off, shrugging my shoulders helplessly.

Edward smiled genuinely, his eyes twinkling brightly as he planted a kiss on my forehead. His lips burned the spot on my forehead, despite the fact his mouth was freezing cold, and I was left momentarily dazed. It was so easy to lose control of all logical thought as soon as his lips made contact with any part of my body.

We had passed over the border about an hour ago and were currently in the middle of nowhere. The road we were traveling on cut through a dense, dark forest which was the very epitome of beauty. The raw, intense greenness of the thick woods was indescribably. If I had thought that Forks was a beautiful place, despite the fact that it was so small, it had nothing on Canada. And people said that Canada was bland and boring.

A few times, I resisted back to the urge to beg Edward to pull the car over so we could go exploring for a little bit. We had been driving for nearly five and a half hours now and, while I may not be human, it was still annoyingly cramped in the car. Edward seemed to loosen up almost as soon as we had made it over the Canadian border without any problems at all. I suppose just making it this far without encountering the werewolves was something to be happy about and I would be lying through my razor sharp teeth if I said that his good mood wasn't contagious.

"Edward?"

He took his eyes off the road and turned his head toward me, several strands of auburn hair falling into his beautiful ocher orbs. "What?" He said, the corner of his lip upturning ever so slightly.

"I'm bored. Can't we get out of the car or something for a little bit. To stretch our legs?" I asked.

Edward seemed to consider it for a moment before shaking his head, just like I thought he would. I bit back a dramatic sigh and leaned my head back on the leather headrest. "It's not that I don't want to, I just don't want to take the risk. One of them could be tailing us, for all we know."

He was right. It was too risky. Aside from the fact we might have a tail, there could be humans out there in the forest, hiking or doing only God knows what, and I wasn't ready to be in contact with humans. Not unless it was absolutely necessary. The only one I had encountered in my day and a half of existence was the Canadian woman and I had been instructed by Edward to not breathe the entire time.

"Well then, how far is it until we reach the hotel?" I shifted my position, trying in vain to make myself more comfortable than I had been before. It wasn't exactly the easiest feat when you were already incredibly restless.

"About another hour or so. We had to stray from the normal road we usually take, just as a safety precaution." Edward replied. When I sighed heavily at his response, he raised a brow. "Can't you think of some way to amuse yourself until then?"

A wicked grin spread across my face as I considered his words, wondering if I really should voice what I was thinking. Edward was always telling me that he wanted to know what I was thinking, but this…this was a bit much. So much that, had I been able to, I would've been blushing a deep crimson color.

"I could," I began, "but it would require your participation as well. But you're driving, so I couldn't distract you from that." I leaned down and picked up a medical magazine off the floor. "So I'll just read this instead."

My smile only grew as I saw Edward's ivory hands tighten on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning a ghastly shade of white. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who's mind had gone to the gutter while trapped in this car.


	17. Chapter 16

A/N: Well folks, it seems that this story is coming to a close sooner than I expected it to. This isn't the last chapter, but the next one will be. I know this fic seems a little short, but I think it's necessary to end it where I have chosen to end it because it sets up the sequel perfectly. I'll leave it at that, my dear friends. But for now, enjoy one of the last chapters of Waste a Moment.

**Disclaimer: It seems that I've run out of witty things to say, so I'll just say this - I don't own it. **

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Chapter Sixteen

Just like he said we would, we arrived in Kamloops, British Columbia an hour later. I had been bored out of my mind during the remainder of the trip and instead of reading the medical magazine like I said I would, I had decided to play with the radio for a bit. When that had lost its interest, considering there were only three stations that worked, I pulled out Carlisle's CD collection from underneath the passenger's seat and put them in alphabetical order. So, it was suffice to say that as soon as I saw the 'No Vacancy' sign, I heaved a sigh of relief and tucked the CD booklet back underneath the seat.

"Finally." I breathed, unbuckling my seatbelt as Edward pulled the sleek, black Mercedes into a parking spot in front of the office. I moved to open my door, but a strong arm made of white granite stopped me from moving.

"You can't go in." Edward said.

"And why not?" I raised my eyebrow questioningly.

"Because there's at least three humans in there and I don't want you to attack them." He replied.

Well, that was a reasonable answer. "Oh."

"I just don't want to take the risk, Bella. You know that." Edward said, consolingly.

I nodded my head, showing that I understood. I sat back in my seat and made myself comfortable. Edward removed his arm and kissed me on the forehead before exiting the vehicle himself. I was jealous of him, I'll admit that much, but I couldn't argue with his logic. I had only just completed my transformation a day and a half ago and, even though I had already hunted, as soon as I smelt human blood, the animal that lurked deep within my chest would rear its ugly head once more.

I watched him walk up to the front door through the windshield, wishing that I could join him. It wasn't like it was that far of a walk from the car to the office, but I just wanted to be close to him. At least he had left the keys in the ignition, I thought with a small smile. I pulled the CD booklet back out and flipped through the CDs until I found the disc I was searching for. I hadn't pegged Carlisle as the type to listen to Michael Buble, but it was a pleasant thought nonetheless to know that we shared the same taste in music.

I could tell that Edward was working his charm on the poor, unsuspecting girl behind the desk. He was leaning on his elbow, his bronze head bent toward her as though he was telling her a secret. I frowned when I couldn't hear what was being said, and when the girl giggled, my fists tightened into little balls. I don't know why I was so jealous of the frail looking girl, but I was. Swallowing the nasty taste my envy had left in my mouth, I pushed the CD into the player and found the track I was searching for.

As the delightful melody of my favorite song, "Everything", drifted through the warm interior of the car, my eyes flickered unwillingly into the small office once again. I could see that Edward was still chatting her up, his hand reaching into his back pocket to remove his wallet. Finally! I was beginning to wonder if he had fallen in love with the girl simply because she was a human and I no longer was.

My chest seared painfully at the idea. It was horrible for me to think such horrendous thoughts about Edward. While I knew that he was completely and totally in love with me now, I began to wonder if he would always love me like he loved me now. Would our love change over time? Would it become more intense or fade as the years slowly melted into one another? I gnawed my bottom lip in worry as the song changed.

A few minutes later, the driver's side door opened and Edward slinked into the car. He threw it into reverse and pulled out of the parking spot. He reached forward and switched the song back to "Everything". I smiled inwardly.

"I'm taking it you got the rooms?"

His mouth twitched into a charming, knee melting smile. A true smile, I thought smugly, not a fake one like he had given that poor girl. "And at half price, too."

I stared at him in shock before I switched the radio off. Though I thoroughly enjoyed the sound of Michael Buble's soft, charismatic voice, I suddenly didn't want to listen to it anymore. I couldn't understand nor could I explain the intense jealous that had flared up inside of me. Squaring my jaw, I focused my gaze outside the window until the car stopped moving.

Without a word, he turned off the ignition and stepped out of the car. Before I could even wrap my fingers around the handle, my door was pulled open and Edward's charming face was grinning at me. I smiled back tentatively and placed my hand in his. Shutting the door behind me, he pulled me up onto the covered sidewalk that connected all of the rooms.

Edward pulled a card out of his pocket from which a golden key was hanging. I didn't think that hotels, even ones as old as this one, had keys anymore. I had thought they had updated to those little cards you slide in the machine to unlock it. He pushed the door open and gestured for me to go first.

I hadn't been expecting much, so the room wasn't much of a disappointment. There was a single bed in the middle of the room, a nightstand on either side, and a dresser where an outdated television sat. Above the TV, a sign proclaimed that they received both HBO and Showtime. The color scheme of the room vaguely reminded me of cat vomit.

"It's not much, but it'll do." Edward said from behind me. The door closed with a soft click and it felt like someone had suddenly turned up the heat. Though I knew I wasn't capable of sweating, the room seemed positively alive with heat.

I looked at Edward and saw that he was wearing a distinct expression of severe discomfort. "Is it hot in here or is it just me?" I asked, biting back the urge to giggle at how cheesy the line sounded.

He shook his head, several strands of auburn hair falling into his ocher eyes as he crossed the room and checked the heater. "Well, it says that it's 70 degrees in here." He stated, looking thoroughly displeased.

I pealed my sweatshirt over my head and tossed it to the floor, not really caring about the garment since it wasn't even mine to begin with. It didn't look like something any of the Cullens would own, considering they dressed in clothes doting designer labels. As I sat down on the edge of the bed, I vaguely wondered why it was so hot in the room. The mattress dipped beside me as Edward sat down and suddenly, every cell in my body seemed alive. It was almost as though someone had turned up the intensity by a tenfold.

It was almost instantaneous, finding out the reason behind the increase of heat and electrical particles in the air. The wheels had clicked into place faster than I thought they would and I wondered why I hadn't thought of it before. It was so painfully obvious, I could almost smack myself on the forehead for being so daft, not to mention naïve.

I was in the middle of nowhere.

With Edward.

In a hotel room.

With no one around to bother us.

A wicked grin pulled at my lips as I slowly turned my head to look at Edward. His head snapped over in my direction so quickly, it looked as though an invisible force had snapped his neck. Though his eyes had turn a rich, onyx color, I could see a flame of desire and intensity in the dark depths. Apparently, he had just come to the very same realization I had.

Maybe I wasn't the only one with a naughty mind today.

I could remember a similar incident in which the electrical connect between us had been streaming heavily. Those had been some of the most miserable days I had ever experienced in my life! Sitting in Mr. Banner's Biology class, trying to resist the urge to reach out and touch him. Anywhere, it didn't matter to me at all. Just a small brush of skin would've been enough to satisfy me, but somehow I had refrained. It was quite miraculous, now that I reflected back upon the intensity of those prolonged hours in the dark. I remembered how uncomfortable I had been, sitting with my hands firmly pressed against my stomach so I wouldn't reach out and touch him involuntarily, no matter how much my mind screamed at me to do so.

But unlike the incident in Mr. Banner's class, there was no one around to say anything about it. There was nothing standing in our way to stop us, seeing as how we were both the same species now and, well, we actually knew each other between than we knew ourselves - or so it seemed.

His tongue darted out of his mouth and he wet his lips. I fisted the bedspread in my hands. The desire, the hunger in his eyes, was hard to resist. I could feel an odd, but pleasant sensation flowing from the very top of my head to the bottom of my toes. Edward leaned toward me.

No! I couldn't allow these feelings to take over, not now anyway. We had just escaped from the werewolves, who were set on killing the whole lot of us, even if it was the last thing they ever did. There were much more important things to worry about, much more significant things to be thinking about. But now, when I should be concentrating on ways we could stay hidden from the werewolves, all I could think about was how incredibly soft Edward's lips were and how perfectly they melded to mine whenever we kissed.

Stop it, I thought angrily, as I tried to push heated images of Edward kissing me like he had when I had woken from my change, like he had in our meadow before Jacob had ruined the perfect moment. But it was seemingly impossible. Every time I had managed to give any image a sharp shove, another one would pop up in front of my eyes, each more vivid than the one before.

Somehow, I managed to scoot away from Edward, putting a good ten inches between us. I had hoped that it would sever the electrical current between us, but it had done the exact opposite. It had only made it worse. I tried to move further away, but before I could so much as move a muscle, Edward's hand clamped around the back of my neck and I was forced to stare into his eyes.

They were burning with such passion that I couldn't look away, even if I had wanted to, which I didn't. I licked my lips in anticipation, wishing that he would just kiss me already.

As though he had read my mind, he pressed his mouth against mine roughly, much like he had in the meadow when he had been trying to convince me that he wasn't a delusion, but as real as he had been the first day we met. He closed the distance I had put between us, my body all but adhering to his.

Unlike all of our kisses before, this one was anything but innocent. It had stared out heated and the temperature only increased as we melted into each other. Much like it had been when we entered the room, it went from hot to steaming in a matter of seconds. I'm sure if it was possible, or happened like it often did in movies, the room would've been blanketed in a thick, muggy fog by now.

I parted my mouth when he pressed his lips more urgently against mine, making me moan as his cold tongue slipped into my mouth. I shivered slightly, thoroughly enjoying the sensation his kiss sent through my body. I fisted his thick, bronze hair and pushed myself against him, causing him to groan and gasp at the same moment.

His breath hitched in his throat at my sudden, seemingly unexpected and uncharacteristic movement. He broke away, his chest heaving as he stared at me, his onyx eyes clouded with want and desire. "Bella," he breathed warningly.

But I paid no heed to his words. I pulled his face toward mine, sealing our lips once more in a hot, searing kiss. He didn't seem to protest, his hands sliding from my neck and down my sides, his long fingers sending white hot sparks of electricity through my body as they slowly traveled down my back.

Something inside of me snapped and before I was aware of what I was doing, I had broke our kiss and Edward stared at me, a look of confusion dashing across his face. He locked gazes with me and, much to my surprise, he cocked a brow in amusement. He opened his mouth to say something, but I shook my head. Something within me roared wildly as I placed one hand on Edward's marble chest and gave him a forceful push, causing him to fall back onto the bed.

"Bella?" Edward said, his voice cracking slightly as I stared at him, a small smile playing on my lips. He had never looked so vulnerable before. He had always been the strong one, the one who had been so sure of himself, but now, he was looking at me with wide eyes, like he didn't know what I was going to do next. To be honest with you, I didn't exactly know what I was going to do next, but it was nice to finally have some sort of control of him.

He pushed himself up onto his elbows, moving to sit up, but I placed my hand on his chest once again and forced him back down onto the mattress. Then, much to my own surprise as well as Edward's, I threw one of my legs over his waist and situated myself on his pelvis, a knee on either side of him. His eyes flashed red very briefly before I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear and lowered my lips onto his, feasting hungrily on his delicious mouth.

Our lips met once more in a heated exchange, our mouths opening simultaneously. His hands slipped down my back and to the hem of my shirt, which he gave a small tug on. I broke our lips very briefly to allow him to pull it over my head, leaving me only in my bra. I couldn't believe this was happening, especially now, but no matter how much I wanted to break away - and it wasn't very much, I could tell you that much - it was seemingly impossible. There was no turning back now, I thought wickedly as he consumed my lips with his mouth once more.

Every inch of bare skin his delicate, yet strong hands touched ignited. As soon as his hands left a particular spot, the recently vacated area yearned for more of his dizzying touch. _I_ yearned for more. My stomach gave an involuntary lurch of desire, my lower body jerking roughly, however briefly, against Edward's. He bit down on my lip at the sudden movement, emitting an odd noise that made the corners of my lips quirked upward. But instead of pulling away like he had most likely though I would, I moved my mouth feverishly against his.

Just as my hands began their frantic descent toward his belt, unbuttoning the buttons of his shirt as they went scrambling along, the door opened and a great whoop of laughter rang in my ears.

Edward and I broke apart as though a bucket full of cold water had been thrown on us. I hastily covered my exposed chest - well, not entirely exposed, considering I was still wearing my bra - with my arms and hide myself behind Edward as best as I could.

Emmett was standing the doorway, a proud, yet triumphant smirk on his face as he observed the pair of us. He was still laughing and, if I was capable of blushing, I would've been as red as a tomato right about now. His golden eyes flickered between me and Edward several times and, before long, I buried my face in the crook of Edward's neck, absolutely mortified.

Emmett had caught us…about to do "the nasty", as he referred to it as.

"We can't leave you two lovebirds alone for more than a few hours, can we?" Emmett joked, laughing when the pair of us moaned in embarrassment. However, Edward didn't share my mortification; he was shaking with rage.

When Emmett saw Edward's enraged face, he continued to shake with laughter. Due to Emmett's euphoria, a few seconds later Jasper's head poked around the doorframe, a wide smile lighting up his usually somber face.

"I should've known it was you two." He said, still smiling widely.

"You mean…?" I trailed off suggestively, gesturing wildly with my hands and Jasper nodded, clearly amused. I groaned and buried my face in my white hands.

"Would you like us to come back later?" Emmett asked curiously, jabbing his thumb in our general direction. "Eddie here looks a bit miffed that we ruined the moment he'd finally become a man, don't you think, Jazz?" He glanced at the leaner vampire, who nodded his head serenely.

Edward growled and I placed a hand on his shoulder, sending him a stern look.

"Man, it's hot in here." Jasper remarked, stepping into the room to stand next to Emmett. He stuck his hands into the back pocket of his jeans and rocked back and forth on his feet. "How long have you guys been at it, anyway?"

Edward opened his mouth to say something, but Emmett beat him to it.

"You might want to take a cold shower, Eddie." He nodded his head toward Edward's lap and my eyes widened when I followed his gaze. I couldn't help but smile to myself. Edward, on the other hand, seemed anything but pleased and grabbed the lamp off the bedside table, raising it threatening.

"If you don't get out right now," Edward growled, glancing meaningfully at the lamp in his hands.

Jasper had enough sense to back out of the room, standing by the doorway, should he have to duck behind it if Edward lost his temper like he normally did. Emmett, however, didn't get the message and stood there, still beaming at Edward and I.

"Maybe you should crank up the air conditioning, too. It's a bit steamy in here." Emmett jabbed, clearly enjoying himself. His great expanse of a chest shook with unnecessary laughter. A growl rumbled deep within Edward's abdominal cavity.

"Emmett," I muttered warningly, nodding suggestively toward the door. But he kept laughing. Stupid vampire: all brawn, no brain. Or at least, no logic.

"Or maybe you guys could open a few windows to air the room out. You know, get all the sexual tension out of the air." Emmett continued, grinning like the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland.

Edward stood up threateningly and I emitted a shriek, grabbing the nearest pillow and covering myself up with it. I know it wasn't that big of a deal, almost like being in a bikini, but still, it was awkward. Emmett's eyes widened in shock as he realized that he was about to get his ass kicked and he ran out of the door, pushing Jasper out of the way and slamming the door behind him.

There was a tapping on the window and I got up, pulling the curtain open. Emmett was standing there, miming the motion of a breeze fluttering through a window. Edward growled and hurried toward the door, making Emmett shout, "It was just a suggestion!"

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A/N: I'm aware that this chapter was fairly pointless, but I thought that it was about time for a little comic relief before the story ends. There's been way too much drama and I figured a bit of comedy might lighten everyone's moods. I know it lightened mine! You all know what to do; review and make me proud!


	18. Chapter 17

A/N: All right, this is it. We've finally reached the end of Waste a Moment. It's been a long and wonderful journey. I'd like to thank each and every one of you that has reviewed as well as the silent readers. Even though you may not leave a review, it pleases me to know that you are still reading my story.

I was happy with the response for chapters fifteen and sixteen, but wouldn't it be excellent if you all could double the normal amount of reviews? Yeah, I know, shameless promoting, but I've gotta do it. I just thought it'd be really cool if I did go out with a bang. So, REVIEW! Everyone! That'd be great.

The only other thing I have left to say is that the sequel, which is tentatively titled "Bitemarks and Bloodstains" should be coming out about two weeks after I post this. Depending on how long I can refrain for reading your reviews.

**Disclaimer: I've already come to terms with it myself, so I don't know why you all are still asking - I DON'T OWN IT! **

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Chapter Seventeen

It took nearly a half hour for Edward to get his temper under control. After I had pulled my shirt back over my head, I had to sit him down on the bed and assure him that I wasn't offended by their intrusion. I did tell him, however, that I was disappointed and that had brought a small smile to his face. His anger quickly returned and the smile slid off his handsome face as he thought about the lost moment.

It seemed that was all we had: lost moments. But things were going to get better, I kept telling myself in a chant-like mantra. They had to get better. It was natural for the first few days, weeks even, after a vampire's transformation to be a little chaotic. Granted, I knew that my situation was littered with many complications, but the drama would have to end eventually, wouldn't it? I silently prayed that it would as Edward began to pace beside the bed, muttering incoherently under his breath.

Though I hadn't known it before that moment, pacing was the way Edward got himself under control. I wouldn't be surprised if he had paced a whole in his floor back at the house in Forks. A pang of regret, hurt, and a few other unidentifiable emotions surged in my chest and I closed my eyes, willing it to go away.

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally stopped pacing and began to unbutton his tattered shirt. I raised myself up to my elbows and cocked a brow. "What are you doing?" I asked, smirking despite myself.

"Taking a shower," Edward replied, chuckling as he balled his shirt up and threw it onto the bed near my feet. His hands went to his belt and I found myself turning away out of habit. "Why do you ask?"

I shrugged my shoulders, staring pointedly at the ugly floral pattern on the bed spread. "Just wondering."

"All right then," he laughed to himself and I could hear the metal buckle of his belt clanking as he stepped out of his pants. If I was capable of blushing, my neck and cheeks would've been a brilliant scarlet. I could hear the lock sliding out of place as he turned the brass doorknob and opened the bathroom door. "Bella?"

With the hesitance that would've made the Tortoise seem like The Flash, I looked up from my fixated gaze and lowered my eyes, so I was looking at Edward without really _looking_ at him. "W-what?"

I could practically hear him smiling as he spoke, "If they come back to the room, don't let them give you any trouble, all right?"

I blinked and forced myself to look at him. I wish I wouldn't have because all logical thoughts had left my mind and I swore that my jaw unhinged itself from the rest of my head. I stuttered over the breath in my lungs for a second and faintly nodded. "Y-yeah…all right, I won't."

I could hear his amused laughter through the door and immediately buried my face in the pillow, the image of Edward in nothing but his boxer briefs burned into my eyelids. I waited until I could hear the sound of water rushing through the pipes before scooting to the edge of the bed and leaning forward to turn on the television, snatching the remote off of the make shift dresser.

I had high hopes that the television would distract me from the fact that there was nothing but a flimsy looking door separating me from a naked, wet Edward. Biting my lip to keep from crying out in frustration, I began to flip through the channels. Even though the sign about the television proclaimed in bright, bold letters that they received HBO and Showtime, there was absolutely nothing of interest on. I spent the better part of ten minutes flipping through the rest of the channels, only to discover that the selection was scarce.

I was going to kill Emmett and Jasper with my bare hands the next time I saw them. If it wasn't for them, I could be…well, I'll just leave it at that. Don't get me wrong, I loved the pair of them more than life itself, but sometimes, I wish they weren't so keen on getting on Edward's last nerve. Sure, it was funny to see him get angry at times, but I was angry too. They had succeeded in ruining what would've been another perfect moment, just like the monster that lurked deep within me and Jacob had.

Shaking my head to myself, I turned my eyes back to the television set, trying to make out what the program was through the static. The reception here must've been horrible, but there was nothing better to do with my time than channel surf. I suppose I could've gone straight to VH1 or MTV, but neither of them had any shows worth wasting a half hour on.

With a sigh, I settled myself back onto the pillows, which were, unfortunately, flatter than pancakes. But thankfully, I wouldn't be needing them for anything other than propping up behind my back. I hit the mute button and closed my eyes, sinking back onto the uncomfortable pillows. Though I might not be able to sleep, I was still able to lose myself in an impossibly long and complicated train of thought.

Even though they reassured me time and time again that I was worth it, that I was family now and had been ever since Edward had brought me back to their house that fateful day almost a year ago, I couldn't help but think that I was causing more trouble than I was worth. Not only had I forced them to uproot themselves from their home, but now they were all on the run from me, all because I had to get into a silly argument with Charlie in the car. If I hadn't picked a fight with him, he would've been paying better attention to the road and he would've seen that deer. He wouldn't have hit the deer and he would still be alive.

Or would it? Even if I hadn't yelled at him, would've it had made any difference? In a sense, it was Charlie who had started the argument in the first place. He had been the one who had initiated the conversation in the first place, although I knew he had only brought up the subject for my own good.

Another sigh escaped me and I snapped my eyes open, pushing myself into a sitting position. I grabbed the remote control and started to flick through the channel again, not really paying attention to the images that flashed across the screen.

It wasn't until I saw my own face dart across the television screen that I stopped my surfing. I frantically flipped back to the channel, CNN, and scrambled to the edge of the bed, praying to God that my eyes were playing tricks on me. I nearly toppled over the edge, but managed to hang onto the mattress, my mouth dropping open. Snatching the remote off the bed, I turned up the television and listened as closely as possible.

My eyes widened in shock as my insides burned with rage.

"Please, God, no." I whispered under my breath as I read the caption under my picture.

Finally coming to my senses, I sprang off the bed, nearly tripping over my own feet in my haste, and sprinted toward the bathroom door, banging my fist impatiently against the feeble wood before opening the door, not bothering to wait for an answer.

"Edward, we have an…oh my God," I trailed off, subconsciously licking my lips as I resisted the urge to cock my head to the side and stare blankly at Edward's wet, naked, toned, _incredibly delicious_…

"What?" Edward said, his voice drenched with concern as he grabbed a towel off the lip of the sink and wrapped it around his waist with all the nonchalance of Daniel Craig in Casino Royale. "Bella, what is it?"

I opened my mouth to tell him what was wrong, still trying to recover from my blatant shock, not only from Edward being naked, but from what I had seen on the news. But before I could form a coherent thought that didn't have anything to do with what I had just seen, the door to our room flew open, banging loudly against the wall. Within seconds, Alice, Jasper, and Carlisle stood in the doorway of the bathroom, staring at the pair of us.

"Did you-?"

"Yes, we saw it, Bella." Jasper confirmed, offering me a sympathetic smile.

"Saw what?" Edward questioned impatiently, the note of anger flaring in his voice.

Without saying a word, I grabbed Edward's hand and pulled him into the bedroom, where Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett were standing around, all wearing expressions of disbelief and apprehension.

"Look," I said, gesturing toward the TV.

All eight of us stood there in an uncomfortable silence, although I could tell that Jasper was desperately trying to make the mood of the room more durable. I shot him a sympathetic smile, much like the one he had bestowed upon me only moment before.

Edward clenched my hand tightly within his and I could hear the growl of rage building with his chest. I squeezed his hand just as hard as he held onto mine. The response was almost immediate; his grip on my hand loosened and he stood there, a look of utter disbelief and fury etched into the beautiful lines of his face.

I turned my eyes away from Edward and focused my gaze on the television screen, watching the broadcast with the same rapt attention that all the other members of my family were.

"Again, Isabella Marie Swan was last seen on evening of April 27th, exiting the Steak N' Shake just a few minutes outside of the small town of Forks with her father. Her father, Police Chief Charles Swan was killed in the car accident in which authorities are now believing to be intentional." The news anchor shuffled their stack of paper and looked into the lens the camera. "Though the witness decided not to release their name to the public, it is believed that Miss Swan was sighted just under twenty four hours ago in the very town from which she had vanished. It was widely believed that the eighteen year old had died along with her father in the accident, but now it seems that the evidence suggest otherwise. We have Norman Rogers live in Forks, Washington. Norm?"

A small gasp escaped me as the sight of my old home stood out behind the short, balding news correspondent. I grabbed onto Edward's hand tighter and, much to my surprise, he dropped my hand and wrapped his bare arm around me, holding me close to his chest. I leaned my head against his stone torso as I watched the screen with disbelieving eyes.

"What can you tell us about the incident, Norm?" The anchorman, whose name I had yet to hear, asked.

"All I can tell you, Gregory, is that everyone in the small town in devastated at the loss of the bright young lady. I've interviewed a few of her classmates and many of them could barely even talk, that is how hard they were crying for Miss Swan." The man named Norm shook his head in what was supposed to be remorse, but he just ending up looking like an idiot. "It's all very somber, very sad, especially since her father's funeral took place this morning, right before the local police officers received the information."

"Are there any new leads in the case?" Gregory questioned.

"No, there are none yet, although some are suggesting that it was a abduction."

"An abduction?!" Emmett cried in outrage, his loud voice overpowering those on the television. "A fucking abduction!? Oh, this is absolutely ridiculous!"

"Emmett!" Rosalie scolded, yanking hard on his arm. "Calm down right now."

"No," I said as I shook my head, unraveling myself from Edward's comforting embrace. Stealing the remote from Alice's hand, I snapped off the television and turned to my surrogate family. "He's right; this is ridiculous."

"BELLA!" Six different voices shouted at me in unison, each colored with a different shade of incredulity; Edward's was, by far, the most distinct and disappointed, not to mention the one that affected me the most.

"I'm not saying that it's not important," I added hurriedly, shooting them all worried looks, "All I'm saying is that they're doing this on purpose."

"Who?" Esme asked, looking on the verge of tears. Her beautiful golden eyes were swimming with tears that would never be shed. I wanted nothing more than to gather her up in my arms and hug her as tightly as possible, much like I would have done for my own mother.

"The werewolves," Edward snarled, his entire frame shaking with rage. "They're trying to lure us all out of hiding."

"No," I said, shaking my head. "I don't think this about trying to get us to come out from our 'hiding place'." I licked my lips subconsciously, locking eyes with my beloved as I continued, "This is about revenge."

"Revenge?" Carlisle repeated, sounding worried. "What makes you say that, Bella?"

I tore my eyes away from Edward, from whom I had drawn enough strength to get through this conversation without having another mental breakdown. "Because Jacob wants to get back at all of you since…"

I couldn't get the words out and turned helplessly to Edward. He grabbed my hand and finished my sentence for me, "Since we broke the treaty."

"But don't they realize that she would've died if you hadn't bitten her?" Rosalie asked.

"It doesn't matter to them, Rose," I mumbled, intertwining my fingers with Edward's and staring down at our joint hands for a distraction. "I'm better off dead to them."

"You don't mean that, Bella!" Esme chided, her maternal side emerging as it always did.

"Jacob sure did." I replied, trying to keep the venom out of my voice, but failing miserably; Edward gave my hand a tight, reassuring squeeze.

A tense silence settled in the room, thicker than anything I had ever experienced in my life. Including all those Biology classes when Edward wasn't talking to me. I held onto his hand as tightly as possible, as though it was my lifeline to this world. Squeezing and releasing his hand was the only distraction I had in this intense silence that I had caused.

No matter how I looked at it, everything always came pointing back to me. No matter what happened, somehow, it always involved myself. It was a little vain to think that I was so important, but in an essence, I was. If it wasn't for me, then the Cullens would've never left Forks. They could've carried on their life as normal as possible. But no, they had to risk everything for me; the worthless fledging vampire.

I lowered my head and stared pointedly at the floor. My voice caught in my throat as I struggled to breath. "I-I'm sorry, you all." I muttered, sniffing. Seven heads snapped in my direction as the sudden sound of my voice. It had been so quiet that we could've heard a pin dropping from across the street.

"I never meant for anything like this to happen. If I would've known that something like this was going to happen, then I would've never have asked Edward to change me." I picked my head up and gazed into each of their achingly beautiful faces. Even now, when I was the very same creature they were, each and every single one of them was more beautiful than I could ever imagine being. I would never fit in with them. They were elegant and graceful whereas I was average and clumsy.

A dry, mirthless laugh escaped my throat. "I've complicated everything and I'm not even-."

"Don't say it," Jasper interrupted warningly, "Don't you dare finish that sentence, Isabella Swan." A wave of calm came crashing over me and I bit my bottom lip, nodding tersely in the direction of the lean, leonine vampire. "You _are_ worth it, no matter how much you don't think you are."

"We all love you, Bella," Alice added, standing up from her position on the bed and taking her place beside Jasper.

"We'd risk everything for you." Rosalie threw in, staring into my eyes with such intensity, I was forced to look away.

"You're a part of the family," Esme said, to which Carlisle added, "You're a Cullen, even if your birth certificate says otherwise."

For the first time in my life, I was at a complete and total loss for words. Sure, there had been times in my life when I had been stumped, struggling to think of something coherent to say, but this was the first genuine moment. I couldn't gather up enough strength to get the words out and it was starting to feel like a weight on my chest, slowly suffocating me. I took a deep breath and I felt my hands start shaking uncontrollably, even the one that was clasped tightly in Edward's grasp.

I could feel my insides turning to mush as I absorbed all of their kind words. They actually wanted to help me. They were choosing to stand by my side, no matter what, and risk everything just for me. It was one of the most unrealistic emotions I had ever experienced. The weight on my chest suddenly lessened, but still, I couldn't get the words out. Hell, I couldn't even bear to look at their gorgeous faces staring back at me.

I licked my lips, searching for the right words to say, but seeming unable to find them. So, I said the first two words that came to my mind; the two words that were so simple yet so powerful, "Thank you."

The words leaving my mouth made the situation real, it was too much to handle. I didn't even notice that they had all left the room until Edward gave my hand a small tug. I looked up into his seraphic face and saw that his eyes were a cloudy mess, but even in the murky depths of his radiant ocher eyes, I could see hope. And that was all I need. Almost immediately, I threw myself against his firm body and his strong arms wrapped around in a tight embrace. It was like the rest of the world had melted away around me, but I knew that I was safe because I was with Edward; I was safe because I had a family. They may not have been blood, but they were just as good as.


	19. Author's Alert

A/N: This isn't a new chapter, but I'd like to let everyone know that the sequel to Waste a Moment is up! It's under the title Bitemarks and Bloodstains and, after reading Eclipse today, it looks like it's going to be an AU story from here on out. Hope you all enjoy and REVIEW!


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